Latest news with #MartinOdegaard
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Martin Odegaard's true colours emerge as team-mate details unseen gesture
Martin Odegaard's work with Arsenal is done until next season but the midfielder has a major responsibility with Norway, captaining them during their World Cup qualifiers Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has been hailed for setting the perfect example on and off the pitch within the Norwegian national team. Odegaard, 26, captains his country just like the Gunners and is charged with leading his nation to their first World Cup since 1998. The midfielder has provided four assists in two games as Norway bid to qualify for the 2026 edition, helping them take maximum points. Odegaard, who also scored and assisted in Arsenal's final two games of the Premier League season, will lead his team-mates out against Italy on Friday in a match which could define their qualifying campaign. Another star performance would go a long way towards Norway taking command of Group I on the road to the United States, Canada and Mexico, with the reverse fixture in Italy to be played on the final matchday. But it's not just on the pitch where the 26-year-old is admired. Having been appointed Norway's captain at the age of 22, just months before he was given the armband by Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, Odegaard has grown 'enormously' into a leader. International team-mate Kristian Thorstvedt has revealed an unseen gesture which shows the Odegaard's true colours. Thorstvedt told Norwegian outlet NRK about how the former Real Madrid star picked up everyone's litter after a game of cards at the team hotel. "When we were finished, everyone left their trash," Thorstvedt explained. "Then Martin was left there cleaning up after the whole group. "When I see that, I'm impressed. Well, it should go without saying, but it's just little things like that that make Martin a leader." Odegaard was asked about the incident and, looking slightly embedded, said: "We were playing cards, and it didn't look so good afterwards, so we went to the trash can. I don't know if it's that extremely impressive, but it happened." It wasn't the first time Odegaard has taken it upon himself to tidy up on behalf of others. After Norway thrashed Irsael 4-2 in March, a game in which he provided a hat-trick of assists, the Norwegian FA released footage of Odegaard going around the locker room and cleaning up after his team-mates. Is Martin Odegaard the best midfielder in the Premier League? Let us know your pick in the comments section. National manager Stale Solbakken reacted by saying: "That's how you can sum him up. If you look at how he praised Torbjorn Heggem along the way, a player who played a big international match for the first time as a centre-back. "That he got a pat on the back just for taking out an Israel player in the box... That's kind of how Martin is. That's why he's captain. He has grown enormously in that role now. The man we see today is not the man who was given the captain's armband three or four years ago." Manchester City winger Oscar Bobb also praised Odegaard's people skills, saying: "He is incredibly good. And the way he brings people into the group, even though he plays for Arsenal, is captain there and such a big star. "He is so good with people and really takes the young and new ones in in a good way. And it is a pleasure to play with him."
Forbes
6 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Arsenal's Title Window Is Now - And The Numbers Prove It
Arsenal's Martin Odegaard (centre) celebrates scoring their side's second goal of the game with ... More team-mates during the Premier League match at St Mary's Stadium, Southampton. Picture date: Sunday May 25, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Matthews/PA Images via Getty Images) It was hard to argue that Arsenal didn't outplay eventual Champions League finalists Paris Saint-Germain for large parts of the two sides' semi-finals. As boss Mikel Arteta pointed out after the second leg, the Gunners failed to get the goals their performances deserved due to a lack of cutting edge and an outstanding goalkeeper. 'We were very close, much closer than the result showed, but unfortunately we are out,' said Arteta. 'I am very proud of the players, 100% I don't think there's been a better team [than Arsenal] in the competition from what I have seen, but we are out. 'When you analyze both games, who has been the best player? The MVP has been the same player, the goalkeeper. 'And the Champions League is decided in the boxes and it's won the game for them because obviously after 20 minutes, and what happened in London as well, the result should have been very different. 'So I can take a lot of positives and I'm very proud of the team. We have to arrive in the competition at this stage with the full squad, full available, in the best condition. We haven't got that, so let's put that aside. 'Still, the team I've seen today is probably one of the best, if not the best team in Europe. 'It gives me so much pride, but at the same time, I'm so upset, so annoyed that we didn't manage to do it. I see how much they wanted it because they were in tears. It hurts, but you have to deal with that.' Delivered in his typically earnest manner, the Basque coach's comment about being the best team in Europe was soon derided by rival fans. As they pointed out, could it possibly be true that a side dumped out of Europe's top competition was, in fact, superior? But there was something to Arteta's suggestion. When the last four teams were drawn, it was hard to see a rival that outmatched the North Londoners. As he pointed out, the side's performances against PSG were excellent but ultimately inconsequential because they failed to score. The coach must feel the same way about the Premier League, where the Gunners have gone from Manchester City's closest rival for the title to a distance behind this season's champions, Liverpool. Undeniably, Arsenal was in a better position than their rivals when the season started but have failed to deliver on that potential. Club legend Thierry Henry made this point during a recent appearance on the popular podcast Stick to Football. 'I'm not saying that I'm disappointed with Arsenal, but it's normal that people are raising questions now about what the team is doing,' he said. 'I understand that at the very beginning, you arrive, and it's not your team. You need, at the very least, three or four transfer windows to change everything that you want to. 'It takes time and you have to give a manager time to be able to implement what he wants to do. 'For the last three years, Arsenal have been in a situation where they should have at least brought one cup or [reached] a final.' The best way to overcome a year of disappointment is, of course, to challenge again, which is precisely the thought on Arteta's mind. When asked by journalists at the end of Arsenal's final game when he starts thinking about next season, he said: 'Now. Immediately. 'Yes, 100 per cent, because tomorrow we already have certain things that we are discussing and making decisions. 'Everything that is planned for pre-season and the first few weeks of the season is already done two, three months ago. 'So we are in a really good [place]. And the moment I start to think about that, I feel goosebumps and excitement. And this is a really good sign always.' LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 18: Declan Rice of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC ... More and Newcastle United FC at Emirates Stadium on May 18, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by) Arsenal is in the beneficial position of still having some key players, like Bukayo Saka and William Saliba, who are still three or four years out from the typical late-20s peak years of soccer. But the core of the team, from Gabriel at center-half to Ben White at right back, Declan Rice in the middle, and captain Martin Ødegaard in the number 10 role, the time is now. Statistics suggest that next season, they will be at the peak of their powers. Arteta's job is to ensure that they can harness that to achieve the success they have been so close to achieving. The timing couldn't be better regarding the state of the club's rivals. The most dominant club of the past decade, Manchester City, finds itself in a massive rebuild. At the same time, last season's champions, Liverpool, must demonstrate they can do what has proved so elusive for Premier League champions of the past and repeat the trick. The age profile of Liverpool's key players compared to Arsenal skews much older. The team's spine: Alisson, Virgil Van Dijk, and Mohamed Salah are all approaching their mid-30s. Arteta must recognise the opportunity, and Arsenal fans will hope that his post-season assessments provide the insights needed to get the club over the line. After discussing his goosebumps about the next campaign, the North Londoner's boss explained his plans for the weeks ahead. 'With the coaches, we analyze everything, what we've done as a team, what we've done individually, put all the plans together that they are almost done, sit down with them, finalize a few things that still have to be planned out, decided timings of that and go for it,' he said. He might not say it but the truth is next season the Premier League title is Arsenal's to lose.
BBC News
6 days ago
- General
- BBC News
'Have no doubt, Arteta is the man'
We asked for your views on our fan contributor Laura Kirk-Francis' end of season scorecard (27 May, 09:53 BST).Here are some of your comments:John: Laura is pretty much right. I think the injuries did damage our season more than Laura thinks but red cards played their part as well. This window must be the window to make the difference between finishing first or Agree with Laura - frustrating to end with nothing this season. Liverpool have been excellent but we've barely challenged for the league title. Points dropped from winning positions is the most damning stat!Carl: Arsenal have made great strides under Mikel Arteta. True Arsenal fans understand this and are firmly behind him. With the addition of a striker and some more creativity in the number 10 role to take the pressure off Martin Odegaard, we will achieve silverware. Recruitment is needed this summer - but have no doubt, Arteta is the Alexander Isak is a proven goalscorer but he does get injured a lot. The strikers from either Germany or Portugal look a better and cheaper bet. If we can also get Nico Williams then it would add another dimension to our attack!Al: 6/10? Every other team besides Liverpool would love to have had Arsenal's season.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Southampton set unwanted Premier League record
Southampton drop to the Championship was confirmed as early as 6 April, the earliest relegation ever recorded in Premier League history. A 0-0 draw with Manchester City two weeks prior at least meant they avoided matching Derby County's record-low tally of 11 points, offering a small consolation in what has been a truly forgettable season. Advertisement While Sunday's result didn't affect their league position, it gave the players one final chance to make an impression - especially with new manager Will Still watching from the stands. But there was more disappointment to come. Martin Odegaard popped up with a late goal in the 89th minute to seal a win for Arsenal and condemn the Saints to their 30th defeat of the season - setting a new Premier League record for most losses in a single campaign. Until now, the unwanted record had been shared by Ipswich Town (1994/95), Sunderland (2005/06), Derby County (2007/08), and Sheffield United (2020/21), who all lost 29 times.
South Wales Guardian
26-05-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
Kieran Tierney gives Arsenal final-day victory
No side in the competition had ever lost 30 in a season but Martin Odegaard's drilled finish into the corner in the 89th minute sent them back to the Championship with a final humiliation to go with their meagre 12-point tally, on the day that new boss Will Still was unveiled to home fans. The outgoing manager of Lens in Ligue 1 watched his new team from the stands and will have been encouraged when Ross Stewart scored his first goal for the club to equalise against the side that a for a third year in a row finished second. For Mikel Arteta, seated nearby as he served a one-match ban, he was left to reflect on a campaign in which his side fell 17 points short of last season's tally. It will not have escaped Arteta that the 89 points the Gunners finished with 12 months ago would have been comfortably enough to win this season's title. In the end, far too many drawn matches and poor discipline – no team in the league received more than Arsenal's six red cards – had cost them. Raheem Sterling almost marked what was likely to be his final Arsenal appearance with a first league goal for the club after seven minutes, swinging a shot just wide after seven minutes. The Chelsea loanee's future remains uncertain but it appears unlikely to include another year at the Emirates. Southampton wanted a penalty when Yuki Sugawara's drive was deflected behind off the arm of Declan Rice. Arsenal may have been fortunate that VAR concurred with referee Darren Bond's on-field decision of no hand ball. Mikel Merino then headed Gabrielle Martinelli's cross against the bar as visiting fans were taunted with chants of 'Tottenham Hotspur, they've won more than you.' A wonderful first touch from Martinelli saw him bring down a high ball over the top before bringing an equally impressive save from former teammate Aaron Ramsdale, then from the resulting corner Oleksandr Zinchenko shot inches wide. Arsenal's pressure was mounting and a minute later they broke through. Ben White's low cross from the right was beautifully pitched, and there at the near post sweeping across the ball from five yards out was Tierney who tapped in his first league goal since Boxing Day 2021 to the delight of travelling fans. There had been no great gulf between the teams in the first half despite the chasm that divided them in the table, and so Saints' equaliser 10 minutes after the break was far from undeserved. Mateus Fernandes' corner was delivered into a crowded six-yard box where Stewart rose powerfully above two defenders to head the ball back over his own shoulder and in past the dive of David Raya. A wonderful block from Charlie Taylor denied Zinchenko as he unleashed a bullet from 12 yards, Bukayo Saka was denied a final-day goal by the offside flag, but Arsenal would have the final say, Odegaard sidestepping Will Smallbone and lashing in the winner to send his side out with a win.
