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Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard promised that his team will do everything to overturn their 1-0 loss. They face Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final next week.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Arsenal lost 1-0 to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night. Ousmane Dembele scored the only goal of the game in the fourth minute, giving the French side a slim lead for the game in Paris. Arsenal’s Mikel Merino had a header ruled out for offside by VAR in the second half. The Gunners now face a tough task to reach what would be only their second-ever Champions League final.
ØDEGAARD’S STRUGGLES
The Arsenal captain had a hard time against the French champions, receiving a lot of criticism from French media after the match. Ødegaard got ratings as low as 3/10 from some French outlets. One publication called him a “real ghost” and said he was partly to blame for Dembele’s goal. The Norwegian midfielder couldn’t make an impact, completing just one dribble from five attempts and losing five duels in his 89 minutes on the pitch.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Arsenal’s performance in the first leg was disappointing, with PSG controlling possession in the early stages. After 20 minutes, the Gunners had just 24% possession as Luis Enrique’s team controlled the game with accurate passing. David Raya had to make several saves to stop the visitors from increasing their lead, including a smart save to stop Desire Doue at the half-hour mark.
Without Thomas Partey in midfield, Ødegaard may have struggled. The Norwegian often had to drop deeper to help defensively instead of influencing the game in attack. This change could explain why he couldn’t impact the match in his usual creative way.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR ARSENAL?
Arsenal will travel to the Parc des Princes for the return leg next Wednesday. They must win in Paris to have any chance of reaching the final. Despite the disappointing home result, the tie is still close with just a one-goal deficit. Arsenal can take inspiration from their previous European performances this season. They will try to make a great comeback on French soil.
Mikel Arteta’s team will need their captain to perform much better in the second leg if they want to turn things around. Ødegaard, one of Europe’s top creative players, will be key to Arsenal’s hopes of reaching the final. His promise to go “full gas” in the return leg shows that the Gunners will not give up easily as they chase their first Champions League final appearance in almost 20 years.
