Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard insists he and his team-mates will “shut out the outside noise” and says he still believes they can end their 22-year title drought
Martin Odegaard after the title blow (Image: Getty)
Manager Martin Odegaard insisted Arsenal could still win the title and were ready to “fight to the end”. Arsenal blew a nine-point lead in the title race and Manchester City could overtake them at the top of the table with a win against Burnley on Wednesday night.
But even after Arsenal’s loss to City on Sunday, Gunners captain Odegaard said he believed Pep Guardiola’s side could overhaul and finish as champions.
“We still have a long way to go. Nothing is set in stone and we still have a lot to play. It’s a big end to the season, but we’re going to prepare for it and look forward to the next game to bounce back and keep moving forward,” Odegaard said.
“We believe in ourselves. We still have a lot of work to do. We have to keep going until the end, so let’s get ready for the next game.”
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Arsenal faced Newcastle on Saturday and even after the defeat at the Etihad, Odegaard said the performance gave them plenty of hope heading into the final five games of the season.
Odegaard added: “We were all disappointed that we couldn’t win. We came here to win, but there are still many games left. All we can do now is take advantage of this result, take the next step and be positive.”
Arsenal will be hoping to have Julian Timber and Riccardo Calafioli back in contention as they face Newcastle this Saturday.
Bukayo Saka, who has been suffering from an Achilles injury, is ramping up his recovery efforts with the aim of returning to training this week, giving Arsenal a big boost.
Ødegaard himself returned from injury at City and played for the first time in almost two weeks, so he finished without any ill effects other than fatigue.
Meanwhile, Odegaard insisted Arsenal will “cut out the noise” and focus on winning the title.
The Gunners suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of title rivals Manchester City, but could fall from the top spot on Wednesday night if Josep Guardiola’s side win at Burnley.
This completes a stunning turnaround in the title race as Arsenal take a nine-point lead and remain top of the table for the past 200 days.
But now things are set to be a direct shoot-out between Arsenal and City for the title, which could be decided on goal difference.
Arsenal are already having to put up with accusations that they are the bottlers and are suffocating in the title race, as their season is in serious danger of collapsing less than a month after they set their sights on an unlikely quadruple.
But Odegaard insisted Arsenal are determined to not let any doubts creep in, saying they will not listen to the naysayers as they believe they can win the title.
Gunners captain Odegaard said: “We don’t listen to outside opinions, that’s always the case. I think it’s disappointing that we didn’t get the result, so we just have to bounce back, take the positives and deliver in the next game.”
Martin Odegaard is ready for the title fight (Image: Offside via Getty Images)
“We don’t care about the noise outside. We just have to focus on ourselves. It’s disappointing that we didn’t win, but we have to keep moving towards the next goal.”
Arsenal look set to be upset by City this week, but Mikel Arteta’s side could actually be under pressure again in the title race.
The Gunners play Newcastle on Saturday before hosting Fulham, giving them two home games before City play their next Premier League game at Everton on May 4.
That could give Arsenal a six-point lead again – obviously they could have played two more games – but it would put some pressure on them.
Suffice it to say, neither Newcastle nor Fulham are formalities, as Arsenal often struggle to get results in games where they need to win.
But Odegaard insists he could have taken heart from his City performance, deserved something from the Etihad and could have won easily.
Odegaard added: “There were some moments where it was close. Some days it goes well, but this time it didn’t work. We lacked a little more clinical finishing and conceded goals a little easier.”
“It was a big battle. Two good teams going head-to-head. It was tough, but I thought we did a good job. There were certainly periods where we could have done better, especially with the ball.”
“We were a little more clinical, but it was a close game and if we had scored with the chances in the second half it would have been completely different.
“It’s close. In the game with Kai Havertz, it was close because I hit the post and there were a couple of set-pieces that were close. You have to be really flexible in those moments. Small margins are big moments and if they go in, it’s a completely different game.”
“We conceded a goal a little easily, but we still have a shot at the title. But overall it was a good fight, but it was disappointing that we didn’t get the result.”
Odegaard’s return could be crucial for Arsenal as the captain could add momentum to the run-in. He added, “I’m glad to be back. I was tired at the end, but it was okay.”
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