'It's all down to him': Paul Scholes knows the reason why Arsenal have been disappointing this season
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Arsenal haven't actually had the best of starts to the season in the Premier League.
Yes, the Gunners sit third in the table at the moment, but they have only won three of their last seven league matches, and if that sort of form continues, Arsenal will quickly fade away in the title race.
Of course, Arsenal have had some tough games in that run, and refereeing decisions haven't quite gone their way.
However, speaking on The Overlap, Paul Scholes has suggested that there's one key reason why Arsenal haven't been at their best this season.
Indeed, Scholes believes that Arsenal are seriously missing Martin Odegaard and that his absence from the team has changed the way Mikel Arteta’s side play.
Odegaard is set to return from injury in November.
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Paul Scholes says Arsenal are missing Martin Odegaard
Scholes shared his view on why Arsenal haven't been at their best this season.
The pundit reckons Arsenal's disappointing results this season have largely been down to Odegaard and his absence.
"Discipline is a problem, but I think Arsenal miss Odegaard massively. He changes the way you play football, I think that one player can change a team. I said this earlier in the season, I've been disappointed with Arsenal, but I think it's all down to Odegaard not being in the team, the rest of it looks alright," Scholes said.
Arsenal's record without Martin Odegaard
Scholes says that Arsenal are missing Odegaard, and he's not wrong.
Odegaard's injury was pinpointed as a serious issue when he went down with his ankle problem, and the numbers back that up.
| Arsenal with Martin Odegaard in 2024 | Arsenal without Martin Odegaard in 2024 | |
| Games | 21 | 6 |
| Wins | 18 | 3 |
| Goals per game | 2.8 | 2 |
| Win percentage | 86% | 50% |
In 2024 Arsenal have played 21 league games with Odegaard in the team, winning 18 of those matches, scoring 2.8 goals per game in the process.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have played six league games without Odegaard in this calendar year, and while that is a small sample size, you can already see that the stats have plummeted.
Odegaard is vital to the way Arsenal play, and his absence is compounded even more by the fact that both Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira left this summer, leaving Arsenal without a recognised number 10 to replace the Norwegian.
The sooner Odegaard is back in action for Arsenal, the better.
