opinionExtreme Martin Odegaard calls fall flat amid new Arsenal information ahead of PSG clash

Here is a paraphrased version of the text, keeping quoted parts unchanged and rephrasing the rest while maintaining the original meaning:

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Martin Odegaard has faced a challenging campaign, yet he remains a vital presence for Arsenal and has contributed despite setbacks.

Although Martin Odegaard hasn’t experienced the season he likely envisioned, ending it so far with merely two goals and six assists in the Premier League, he’s still an essential part of the team. He was sidelined for eight matches in the league due to an ankle injury sustained while playing for his country earlier in the year.

Upon returning, that injury appears to have marked a turning point in his drop in form and productivity. Even following arguably his best performance of the season against PSV Eindhoven—where Arsenal netted seven and Odegaard contributed two goals and an assist—he acknowledged his own shortcomings.

“I’m very used to people speaking about me, judging my performances and I do that myself,” he said. “I’m harder on myself, and I know that I have not been good enough, especially in front of goal.

“I work hard every day to improve it, and I know I have the ability and the talent to do it. PSV Eindhoven was good and hopefully now I can do more towards the end of the season.”

Having earned Arsenal’s Player of the Season title in the last two seasons, it’s frustrating to see some questioning his leadership this term because of a dip in performance. It’s a wild notion, clearly, but a closer look at his season might help identify the root of the issues.

Fresh data from FBRef, based on Opta statistics, highlights that Odegaard still stands out as a top-tier creative talent among players across Europe’s elite leagues. The graphic below displays his continued dominance in creative passing and deep-lying playmaking metrics.

Though he has received criticism for a perceived lack of creativity, only Michael Olise surpasses him for passes into the box per 90 minutes across Europe’s top five divisions in the 2024/25 campaign.

His expected assists (xA) metric has dipped, which may be attributed to several factors. Kai Havertz has missed the latter half of the season, Gabriel Jesus has also been out, and Bukayo Saka has dealt with a hamstring problem for most of it. This absence of attacking talent and a natural striker has likely hindered Odegaard’s creative output.

Martin Odegaard continues to exceed most players in progressive passing and passes into the penalty area per 90 minutes.

On the right-hand flank, not only was the understanding with Saka lost, but Ben White was also unavailable. When the trio reunited at Ipswich Town, it marked the first time since November they had started a match together.

Although Jurrien Timber has done well in White’s role, building on-field chemistry takes time. With Arteta having to constantly adjust the lineup due to injuries and other factors, it makes sense that individual players have struggled.

Despite all this, Odegaard is still expected to elevate his game, and his performances in recent fixtures—against Real Madrid, Ipswich, and Crystal Palace—have shown promising signs heading into the season’s closing matches.

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