The turbulent season of Arsenal left them only one opportunity for silverware: the Champions League. While the Gunners are preparing for a crucial confrontation in the quarter -final against Real Madrid, their campaign is at stake.
Currently seated at 15 points behind the leaders of the Premier League Liverpool and already eliminated from the two national cup competitions, Arsenal had trouble finding coherence.
The injuries to key players and the absence of a reliable scorer still derailed their title challenge.
In the middle of the inconsistent form of Arsenal, club captain Martin Odegaard was criticized for his recent performances.
However, journalist Charles Watts came to the defense of the Norwegian, arguing that part of the reaction was too severe.
Watts: Martin Odegaard’s criticism is unfair
While Watts has recognized that Oncegaard did not quite match the high standards he had established in previous seasons, he stressed that the external factors contributed to his drop in form.
One of the main problems was the disturbance on the right side of the Arsenal attack. The absence of Bukayo Saka and Ben White, two players with whom Odegaard developed a strong understanding, forced the playmaker to adapt to various teammates.
In addition, the Norwegian is still recovering from his first major injury, having returned to action earlier than expected. As the main creative force of Arsenal, the 26 -year -old carries the burden of directing the team’s attack game. When those around him struggle, he becomes even more difficult for him to influence games as effectively as before.
Speaking exclusively to withdrawals in The daily briefingWatts shared his reflections on criticism surrounding Odegaard:
“I’m going to be honest, I just can’t understand a lot of criticism that Martin Odegaard was recently.
“It is certainly fair to criticize some of his performances because, as he admits, he has not been good enough compared to the high standards he has established in the past two years.
“But some of the criticisms went far beyond. Has it been out of color? Yes. Was it horrible? Absolutely not.
“When you assess the form of Odegaard, you must consider a little context.
“The right side of the attack with which he became so accustomed and successful with was completely decimated.
“Odegaard has been elected the Arsenal season player for each of the last two seasons, rightly so. He had a hard time maintaining this form this season, but any speech on the replacement of him at this stage is simply ridiculous.
“I am convinced that we will soon see it in its best.”
Arsenal has eyes on the glory of the Champions League as the last hope of silverware
Despite criticism, Odegaard still contributed five goals and seven assists in 31 appearances all competitions this season.
The title of Premier League apparently out of reach, Arsenal will now turn their attention to European success. They exceeded the PSV by making them 9-3 on the aggregates to progress in the quarter-finals.
Their next test will be against the European giants and the kings of the Real Madrid competition, which will serve as a return to Odegaard important at Santiago Bernabéu.
As a captain of Arsenal and Creative Lynchpin, he will be subject to immense pressure to deliver the biggest scene.
He showed what he was capable of against the PSV in their 7-1 victory last week, when he organized a world class performance that left Chris Sutton with admiration.
If he can rediscover his best form, it could be the arsenal spark to keep their dreams of the Life Champions League.
