Arteta's three demands aim to boost Odegaard and Arsenal
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has set three specific demands for captain Martin Odegaard, insisting the Norwegian’s increased attacking involvement will benefit Arsenal’s European ambitions after his decisive winner against Napoli in the Champions League. The 27‑year‑old’s goal arrived in the 75th minute, sealing a 1‑0 victory and marking his fourth strike in five games.
Odegaard’s winner came after a clever 18‑yard pass from Christos Tzolis, and it was his fourth goal of the campaign, the only match in which he failed to score being the 1‑0 win at Aston Villa. At 27, he has already eclipsed the single goal he managed last term and could challenge his personal best of 15 goals set in the 2022/23 season if he maintains his current rate.
Arteta’s tactical shift
Arteta explained that he has asked Odegaard to occupy more advanced positions, saying, “Yes, because he can, and we have now a lot of players that can take the ball there and they can progress the ball much better than we did in the past.” He added that the midfielder must vary his heights, angles and positions to disorganise opponents, a task he believes Odegaard performed “really well tonight”.
Arteta also set a clear scoring target, stating, “Yes, goals every week, every game goals, that’s the target.” The manager makes it evident that consistency in front of goal is a priority for the Gunners.
Arsenal move for this talented midfielder should Arteta snap him
Author background
Rob Guest PM GMT+1 is a Football Writer for GiveMeSport with over 15 years' experience in the industry. Starting off working for Bradford Bulls Rugby League Club and York City Football Club after graduating with a degree in BA Sports Journalism in 2010, Rob has since worked for the Press Association, The Football League Newspaper and football.london. At football.london he hosted the Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham podcast and covered Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham at home and abroad. Add Us Summary Generate Like Follow Try Give London.
Arsenal will be looking to retain their Premier League title and improve on their recent Champions League final loss to PSG, hoping Odegaard’s form can drive them forward. The club’s ambition is to turn this season’s league triumph into a broader trophy haul.
Eberechi Eze featured for only 66 minutes of Arsenal’s 1‑0 Champions League win at Napoli on Wednesday evening, after a subdued display in Italy.
Arteta’s next test comes with a Premier League clash against Sunderland on Saturday evening, where Odegaard will have the chance to add another goal to his tally and further cement his importance to the side.