Real Madrid: What To Expect From Martin Ødegaard At Arsenal
By Parshva Shah
Arsenal have signed Real Madrid midfielder Martin Ødegaard on loan for the rest of the season, a move that hasn’t particularly gone down well with the club supporters. Before making the switch, Ødegaard made just nine appearances for Real Madrid in all competitions, starting four of those and not completing 90 minutes even once.
Now that he is at Arsenal, a club where he will get a lot of minutes to redeem his season (Mikel Arteta had a personal phone call with the player, assuring him of a relevant role in the team), we can obviously pin our hopes on the Norwegian to make the most of the next four to five months in England. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to have expectations from the player, given that he is in a league full of world-class players (Bruno Fernandes, Kevin de Bruyne, Harry Kane etc.)
Martin Ødegaard should earn a lot of minutes
Arsenal have had their problems this season, although they have found balance in recent weeks. Mikel Arteta has entrusted youngster Emile Smith Rowe with the number 10 role in Arsenal’s 4-2-3-1 formation. That’s exactly where Ødegaard thrives – as a central attacking midfielder in 4-2-3-1.
At Real Madrid, Ødegaard played just 367 minutes, much less than he would have expected, although one could argue that he spent a lot of time out with injury. This is Smith Rowe’s first proper season as a starter in the top flight. With Ødegaard around, Smith Rowe could be given a less prominent role than the one he has at the moment since he lacks the experience and it’s obvious that Ødegaard is a more talented and complete player out of the two.
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Martin Ødegaard should lead Arsenal back to Europe
Having managed to pull things back in the last few weeks, Arsenal are in a far more respectable position in the league than they were at the beginning of the year.
They have made the leap from 16th place to 9th place in the table, just five points off a European spot. Ødegaard’s nous in the final third could propel Arsenal to a top-five finish, possibly even a Champions League qualification given the unpredictability of the Premier League.
At Real Sociedad last season, Ødegaard helped the Basque side to be a constant presence near the top of the La Liga table. With Arsenal, a team that has better attacking players at their disposal, Ødegaard could thrive and be the star that runs the show and orchestrates the attacks using his wand of a left foot.
He is definitely raring to go full throttle in England, and it shouldn’t be beyond the realms of possibility to imagine Ødegaard being the protagonist of Arsenal’s successful second-half of the season, preferably a European qualification to put the cherry on top of the cake.
Martin Ødegaard should become a better player
This loan means a lot to both Ødegaard and Real Madrid. Both the club and the player himself prefer the accumulation of as many minutes as possible. Although Zidane recalled Ødegaard to Real Madrid a year earlier, it didn’t work out the way it should have, unfortunately.
Ødegaard moving to Arsenal seems a wise move as he was never going to get a starting role ahead of the favoured triumvirate of Toni Kroos, Luka Modrić, and Casemiro. At Arsenal, he will have the platform necessary to not only showcase his quality, but also to improve himself. Let’s not forget that he turned 22 only recently. He is still young and has a lot more to learn.
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The Norwegian is the future of Real Madrid’s aging midfield, the ideal successor to the throne of Luka Modrić, the player who will lift the crowd up from their chairs with his brazen feet, feet that are destined to leave the footballing world in his awe.