It is not a secret how crucial the role of Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is in Mikel Arteta’s game plan. What’s even more important is how much Arsenal’s attack flows through his excellent understanding with right-winger Bukayo Saka.
It is no surprise that Arsenal have struggled in attack since the influential midfielder picked up an injury during international duty, which has kept him out of action for over two months.
Arsenal have struggled to generate quality chances from open play recently, having scored a mere three goals in their last four Premier League games, with an average of 1.6 goals per game in the league this season. They rank 8th in the league for expected goals with 17.3 xG created after eleven league games, a poor stat for their title ambitions. Arsenal have had an expected goals (xG) below 1.0 in four of their seven league games without Martin Odegaard, also ranking 9th in the league for shots on target per match (4.9). In the last three League games without Odegaard, Arsenal have accumulated a dreadful sum of five shots on target.
The Norwegian’s creative quality has been greatly missed. Since the start of the 2023/2024 Premier League season, Ødegaard tops the table for open play chances created (93), ranking first for Arsenal in expected assists (11.9) and chances created (107). Arsenal have seen a drop-off in their attacking numbers in the absence of Martin Ødegaard, with shots per game, xG per match, progressive passes, chances created, and pass completion rate all seeing a significant decline. Without Ødegaard, Arsenal have struggled to progress the ball into dangerous opposition areas, as they lack another player who can receive the ball between the lines in tight spaces on the half-turn. This lack of quality has made it easy for opposition teams to defend in a narrow block, as Arsenal without Odegaard have been far easier to defend against.
Odegaard’s immediate impact on his return
Martin Odegaard was quick to highlight his importance upon returning, recording an assist in his return to the starting lineup with a beautiful lobbed pass to Martinelli in the 1-1 draw against Chelsea. His movement to find space for the pass to the back post showcased the quality Arsenal had been missing, as he drifted out wide around the right half-space in a tightly congested area before lifting his head up to find Martinelli at the back post. He had four key passes, an expected assist (xA) of 0.24, and created two big chances. This sort of movement around the opposition final third has been the missing piece in Arsenal’s game plan over the past two months in Ødegaard’s absence.
Mikel Arteta will hope his captain stays fit through the campaign, as his quality and decision-making in the opposition final third could be a decisive factor in Arsenal‘s title ambitions this season.
