Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard explains why he was frustrated with teammates after Bournemouth defeat, demands response against PSG in the Champions League.
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has slammed his teammates for their sloppy performance against Bournemouth on Saturday.
The Gunners took a 1-0 lead at halftime but the Cherries turned the tide in their favor by winning 2-1 courtesy of goals from Dean Huijsen and Evanilson.
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The Mikel Arteta charges are winless in their last three matches in all competitions and face an acid test on Wednesday at the Parc De Princes when the Londoners travel to the French capital for perhaps the biggest match of their careers this season.
Mikel Arteta confirms Kai Havertz may return this season, boosting Arsenal ahead of crucial Bournemouth and PSG matches.
A frustrated Odegaard could not mince his words telling the Daily Mail that the team’s second-half performance was unacceptable.
“We never find the rhythm after that, it is too chaotic and too sloppy from us. The second half is not acceptable. We have to move on as we have a massive game coming up. We have to get ready for that and analyse this game as well. This is what we want — we want to compete in every competition. We wanted to come here and do a good game and win, but that wasn’t the case.”
Gunners’ Damning stats
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Arsenal players crestfallen after a past defeat.
Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and William Saliba look dejected during Arsenal’s Champions League match with PSG (Credit: Imago)
The north London club have now dropped 21 points from a winning position in the league this season and risk losing their second-place spot with a number of teams chasing them down, including Manchester City and Newcastle.
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Rising Stars assistant coach Anthony Akhulia has shed light on what went wrong for the Kenyan U20 national football in their opener fixture against Morocco at the ongoing U20 AFCON in Cairo.
“Massive disappointment. I think we started the game pretty well. We got the goal and felt like we controlled pretty much everything, but they scored and we lost control of the game,” Odegaard added.
Mikel Arteta’s reaction
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Mikel Arteta has to inspire a comeback against PSG to keep their Champions League hopes alive. (Credit: Imago).
Mikel Arteta said the Gunners still have work to do to secure a top-five spot for Champions League qualification next season.
“Well we have a lot to do, yes, because mathematically we are not qualified, we haven’t had the right to finish second yet so we still have a lot to do,” he said.
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One of top African clubs is targeting Kenya’s Michael Olunga, whose form and reputation continue to rise in Middle Eastern football.
Arsenal therefore have two crunch Premier League ties to contend with, with a trip to Anfield next weekend followed by the visit of Newcastle to the Emirates a few days later.
PSG clash a defining moment
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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta instructs Champions League hero against Real Madrid, Declan Rice. (Credit: Imago)
Arsenal’s attention now turns to their season-defining Champions League semi-final second leg clash with Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.
Trailing in the tie by a single goal, the Gunners are not out of the tie, but will have to improve on a blunt attacking display from the first meeting.
The north London side will be boosted by the inclusion of Thomas Partey, who will return to action after being suspended from the first leg.
The French champions dominated the all-important midfield battle, and so the return of the Ghanaian international will likely provide greater stability in the middle for the visitors.
