Martin Odegaard hits new low after suffering crushing Arsenal injury blow
Martin Odegaard was forced off after 30 minutes of Arsenal’s 2-0 win over West Ham having picked up another injury.
The Norway international was in fine form in Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Olympiacos on Wednesday, 1 October.
The win over Greece’s champions was Odegaard’s first start in five matches for the Gunners after picking up an injury against Nottingham Forest on 13 September.
However, fitness issues continue to plague the former Real Madrid man, and the 26-year-old broke a Premier League record against West Ham with his latest injury in Saturday’s triumph.
Martin Odegaard the first Premier League player substituted in first-half of three consecutive starts
Eberechi Eze‘s mind-boggling miss was the biggest talking point of the first half against West Ham, until Odegaard limped off following a clash of knees with Crysencio Summerville.
The Gunners’ captain went off against Forest in the first half, as mentioned above, whilst he had also failed to make it to half-time in a 5-0 win over Leeds in August.
TNT Sports posted on X stating that Odegaard’s three consecutive substitutions in the first half of Premier League games is a record.
The record underlines what has been a troubling period for the 26-year-old, who is becoming more and more injury-prone.
Mikel Arteta must show more faith in Ethan Nwaneri
Three injuries in three consecutive starts suggest that Odegaard is not being given the time to recover fully, and the concern will be that these small stints on the sideline could disrupt the career of one of the Premier League’s best players.
The puzzling part of Mikel Arteta‘s insistence on starting his captain over and over is that he simply does not need to.
Ethan Nwaneri was Arsenal’s breakout star last season, and despite his tender age, he proved himself capable of being a regular starter for the North London outfit.
Against a struggling side like West Ham, there was simply no need to rush Odegaard back, and it would have been a great chance for the 18-year-old to find his feet in the attacking centre-midfield role that he looks destined to fill in the future.
Arteta must start showing more faith in Nwaneri, or else there is a risk that Odegaard’s career may be jeopardised in the long run.