Martin Ødegaard Leads By Example As Arsenal Beat Manchester United
There are ugly games in a season that you will not remember. Yet if you are serious about being champions you need to find a way to get over the line in those ugly games. On the opening weekend of the campaign clearly not all players were at their best. Barely any service was given […] The post Martin Ødegaard Leads By Example As Arsenal Beat Manchester United appeared first on Just Arsenal News.
RR aka Rishi-Raj
There are ugly games in a season that you will not remember. Yet if you are serious about being champions you need to find a way to get over the line in those ugly games.
On the opening weekend of the campaign clearly not all players were at their best. Barely any service was given to Viktor Gyökeres, Manchester United’s new attackers at times bullied our defence, some of our defending was in certain moments desperate and our own manager admitted mistakes were made. It was a scrappy encounter that was not designed for flair players to produce many memorable moments.
Ødegaard Answers His Critics
For much of 2025 Martin Ødegaard has been criticised for going missing when Arsenal needed him. So it is only fair to point out when he steps up and shows bravery. That is what he did on Sunday.
This very week Tony Adams put more pressure on the Norwegian by claiming the Gunners will not lift the title unless they change their captain. When you are called Mr Arsenal, many supporters will listen, and it was the last thing our skipper needed after months of playing like someone still recovering from an ankle injury.
A section of the fanbase are concerned that a midfielder will not be signed to help take the creative pressure off the 26-year-old. Time will tell if he and Ethan Nwaneri are strong enough options to break down low blocks and win a league title. Yet Ødegaard’s willingness to do the ugly side of the game was vital in our victory at Old Trafford.
You could argue the amount of times he came back to win possession and calmly start a counter attack was not even his responsibility. The Theatre of Dreams was always going to have a more hostile atmosphere than our recent visits because it was the opening weekend. The likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha gave the home fans hope, and there might even be the sense that United were unlucky not to get a result. Without Ødegaard’s contribution, that may well have been the case.
Gabriel looked flustered, William Saliba was rushed, Martin Zubimendi gave away fouls, and Gabriel Martinelli was overthinking his passes. Yet Ødegaard brought calmness and composure to proceedings.
Leadership When It Mattered
It was a scrappy, physical game that some might have assumed did not suit our number ten. Yet instead of going missing he showed character at a time when his personality has been in doubt. Even in the final minutes, when we were trying to wind down the clock, he took responsibility.
I have always questioned the choice of who wears the armband at the Emirates. By his own admission Ødegaard is not the most vocal. If your style of leadership is not to shout, then you need to lead by example on the pitch. That cannot just happen when things are going well.
If you win a Premier League title, no one looks back and talks about the narrow wins you had to fight and scrap for. Yet going away from home, not playing well but still finding a way to return with three points, is a skill set required to win major honours. Tony Adams will know that because he was part of numerous experiences.
Ødegaard of course needs to do this consistently, but you sense he needed this performance.
Your thoughts welcome in the comments.
Dan Smith
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