Martin Odegaard drop a BOMBSHELL to Arsenal teammates after crucial draw against West Ham.
Arsenal’s hopes of winning the Premier League title suffered a significant setback after they were held to a 2-2 draw by West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday.
The Gunners raced into a two-goal lead in the opening ten minutes through goals from Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard. However, West Ham came back strongly, with Said Benrahma scoring a penalty just before half-time to reduce the deficit.
Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka then missed a penalty just moments before Jarrod Bowen equalised for the Hammers, as Arsenal failed to find a winner. The draw means Arsenal drop two crucial points in their pursuit of the title, leaving them four points behind league leaders Manchester City, who have a game in hand.
Speaking after the match, Arsenal captain Odegaard admitted his side “did a lot of stupid things with the ball” as they allowed West Ham to get back into the game. He said, “We let them play on their qualities, we should have done a lot of things better.” Boss Mikel Arteta echoed the same view, saying, “We lost our purpose to really attack them, to threaten their goal, instead keeping the ball for the sake of playing.”
🗣 "We started to do a lot of stupid things with the ball."
Martin Ødegaard highlights the regrets he has pic.twitter.com/xF6e7ThhtU
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) April 16, 2023
Arteta made several substitutions in the second half in a bid to find a winner, but the changes failed to have the desired effect. Odegaard was among the players substituted, but he remained upbeat, saying, “We have to make sure it is not a problem. We have to come back tomorrow on the training ground and be ready for the next game, that’s all that matters now – the next one.”
The Gunners now face a crucial game at home to bottom-of-the-table Southampton on Friday before they take on Manchester City in what could be a title-deciding clash on April 26.
Odegaard urged his side to focus on the next game, saying, “Come on Friday and win. That’s all that matters now, we have to keep going, keep working, as we’ve said the whole season just look for the next game, that’s all.”
Arsenal started the match in impressive fashion, with Jesus finishing off a well-worked team move to give the visitors the lead. Odegaard then doubled Arsenal’s advantage with a superb volley from Gabriel Martinelli’s cross. However, West Ham refused to give up and fought back strongly, with Benrahma scoring from the spot just before half-time.
Saka had the chance to restore Arsenal’s two-goal lead after he won a penalty in the second half, but the young winger struck his spot-kick wide of the target. It proved to be a costly miss as Bowen equalised for the Hammers just moments later.
Arsenal’s failure to hold on to their two-goal lead will be a huge disappointment for the Gunners, who had the chance to put pressure on Manchester City at the top of the table. However, the draw means that Arsenal now face an uphill battle to win the title, with City firmly in control of their destiny.
Despite the setback, Arsenal will take heart from the fact that they are still in contention for the title. The Gunners have shown this season that they have the quality to beat anyone on their day, and they will be determined to bounce back from this disappointing result and keep their title hopes alive.
Arsenal’s draw with West Ham United was a missed opportunity for the Gunners to put pressure on league leaders Manchester City.
While they started the match in impressive fashion, Arsenal’s failure to hold on to their lead will be a major disappointment for the club. However, with a crucial game against Southampton coming up, the Gunners will be determined to get back to winning ways and keep their title hopes alive.
