According to Sky Sports, Arsenal have failed to win their last three Premier League matches because their attack squandered all 19 attacking opportunities created by captain Martin Odegaard.
In most matches, Odegaard would raise both hands, urging the fans to cheer him on more enthusiastically, trying to motivate his teammates to put more pressure on the opponent's goal. Sky Sports likened this image to that of a conductor, and it served as a metaphor for Odegaard's role in the tactical system used by Mikel Arteta.
Odegaard is at the heart of most of Arsenal's attacks. The Norwegian midfielder has the most passes leading to shots in the Premier League this season. The majority of his passes are "pre-assists"—passes that precede the shot. And this is a crucial weapon for Arsenal this season.
In the defeat to West Ham on December 28th, Odegaard beat four opposing defenders with a through pass to Ben White, but Gabriel Jesus was unable to tap in after the English defender's cross. (Screenshot)
Arsenal's winning goals against Everton and Brentford came from Odegaard's assists. These passes also helped Arsenal take early lead against Tottenham and Bournemouth. Odegaard's decisive pass also set up Kai Havertz's goal to seal a 2-0 victory against Brighton at home at the Emirates Stadium.
But Arsenal are in decline. The draw at Liverpool, along with two consecutive defeats against West Ham and Fulham, have seriously affected the Gunners' title ambitions. They have dropped to fourth place before the start of 2024.
Despite this, Odegaard's class remains undiminished. The Norwegian midfielder made 19 passes leading to shots during Arsenal's three-game winless streak, and none of them resulted in a goal.
Odegaardi dribbles past West Ham players Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse during Arsenal's 0-2 home defeat to West Ham at the Emirates Stadium in the 19th round of the Premier League on December 28. Photo: Reuters
The most wasteful moment was the 0-2 defeat to West Ham at home at the Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal had 30 shots on goal. Of those, Odegaard, directly or indirectly, created 12 chances. "Arsenal's attacking options were ineffective while their captain tried to set them up," commented Sky Sports .
Warning signs were already present, as Arsenal's attack failed to benefit from Odegaard's creativity. Furthermore, the Gunners only scored two goals from 41 chances created by the Norwegian midfielder.
As in the match against Brighton, Odegaard passed with the outside of his left foot to Bukayo Saka, who then laid the ball off to Gabriel Martinelli. But with an empty net in front of him, the Brazilian striker shot the ball over the crossbar.
Odegaard tore through Brighton's defense with an outside-of-the-foot pass to Saka, but Martinelli then missed the opportunity after receiving a pass from his English teammate. (Screenshot)
Similarly, Trossard and Eddie Nketiah both squandered Odegaard's passes in the Wolves game. But Arsenal won both matches, so the missed opportunities went largely unnoticed.
Those moments didn't cost Arsenal points, but they're paying the price. Gabriel Jesus and Saka both missed close-range chances from Odegaard's passes against West Ham. Three days later, Martinelli squandered a golden opportunity set up by the Norwegian midfielder inside the Fulham penalty box.
Odegaard provided the assist, but Martinelli, number 11, shot wide in the 1-2 defeat to Fuham on December 31st. (Screenshot)
Every Arsenal forward has missed at least one clear-cut chance created by Odegaard in recent weeks, leaving the 25-year-old midfielder with only three assists in the Premier League, despite having an expected assists stat of 4.37.
That's why Arsenal's attack is facing criticism and Arteta is being advised to bring in a top-class striker in the winter transfer window. "Man City have won titles many times because they had Sergio Aguero and now Erling Haaland," former central defender Jamie Carragher commented on Monday Night Football . "Is the current squad enough for Arsenal to win titles? Is anyone in their squad world- class right now to take Arsenal to trophies? I would say no."
Arsenal's wasteful finishing, contrasted with Odegaard's brilliance, has cost them six points in their last two Premier League games. And failing to address this issue could lead to even worse results.
Arsenal's attacking prowess will be further tested in the FA Cup and Champions League in January and February, respectively, before the Premier League title race enters its final stages in the following months.
"A conductor is useless if the performers are out of sync. If Arsenal want to become a serious contender on multiple fronts, they need a forward line that is in sync with their captain," Sky Sports commented.
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