Arteta: Hard for Odegaard to maintain numbers, but he's trying

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Unlike many of his teammates, Martin Odegaard enjoyed a well-earned summer break before diving into an extended pre-season. It seemed like the perfect setup for the Arsenal captain to hit the ground running. But things haven't gone to plan.

An ankle injury picked up during international duty in September sidelined him for 12 matches, and a recent illness, combined with Bukayo Saka’s absence due to injury, appears to have taken a further toll on his form.

So far this season, Odegaard has managed just one goal – a penalty in the 5-2 win over West Ham – and three assists, all coming in a burst of form following his return to full fitness in November.

While his presence on the pitch contributed to a 13-game unbeaten streak, leading up to the Carabao Cup loss to Newcastle, something still feels off with the midfielder.

Interestingly, manager Mikel Arteta seemed to suggest he was expecting a drop-off from the player who in the last two seasons has hit 26 goals and weighed in with 18 assists.

“When you go to probability and when you go to samples, sustaining an attacking midfielders scoring 15 goals like he did two years ago, it doesn’t happen. Because it hasn’t happened in 50 years. So we were very aware of that on the other side of the coin.”

“He’s trying, he’s trying very hard, he has had some big chances, missed some opportunities.

“[All we can do is] just help him and make sure that he’s confident enough to take the shots when he needs to do that, because he’s so good at it.”

Asked why Odegaard produced such scintillating form in the weeks after his return from injury but has since dropped off, Arteta agreed that the absence of Bukayo Saka, who picked up an injury five games ago against Crystal Palace, could be a factor.

“It can be an element of that,” he said. “Obviously, he’s come from an injury and the first maybe week or two you have that extra energy and then you play every three days. He was ill as well for over a week, so that plays a part.

“So there are a lot of circumstances, but obviously it’s inevitable to think when you have such a chemistry with a player and you’re not together next to each other, that you’re going to notice something that is different.”

After the disappointment of Tuesday, Arteta will be desperate for his side to get back to winning ways when Manchester United visit the Emirates in the third round of the FA Cup.

Having won the trophy six months into his time in charge at the Emirates, the Gunners have suffered a series of early exits in recent years undermining its status as the competition’s most decorated club.

“It’s a massive part of our history, we’ve won it 14 times, it’s a competition very attached to us and a beautiful game to play against a massive club with a very special occasion as well, with the amount of supporters they’re going to bring [8,000] as well, so a very good game.

Unlike Arsenal, United have had a full week to prepare since they picked up a creditable point at league leaders Liverpool. The schedule plays into the hands of new coach Ruben Amorim who has struggled for time on the training ground to transmit his ideas.

Arteta has already spotted differences in the Red Devils’ play, saying:  “They play a little bit different with the personnel that they use, the location of certain players.

“The characteristics of the players at the end dictates as well what they do, where they have more threats on both sides, two feet in behind, because that’s at the end what determines the behaviours of a team.

“It is different the last few weeks to when we played them here at home, so I’m expecting a few different things.”

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