Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard faces defining month as Gunners eye glory

MADRID– Martin Odegaard is on the verge of immortality. In four and a half weeks he could become the first Arsenal captain to win the European Cup. This could be down to a first Premier League title in north London for 22 years. That would be enough to intimidate most.

Again, for Odegaard, this is where the last five years have been moving. If there was a playful face of this club’s return to the forefront at the highest level, well, it’s Bukayo Saka. But if we park the Arsenal starboy for a moment, Odegaard represents this project as well as anyone. An extraordinary young talent, recruited at great expense, still at the dawn of that moment when he will engrave his name in folklore.

“We are in a great position to make history,” Odegaard said ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg at Atletico Madrid. “That’s what we want to do.

“I’ve been at this club for a while now and I’ve seen the progression since the first game and how much we’ve improved and the steps we’ve taken. It’s been amazing to be part of that and I’m sure we’re going to take that last step and do something really big and that’s the biggest goal, the biggest dream and that’s what we’re all working towards every day.”

The question hanging over Arsenal and Odegaard is whether they are in the right place to do it. Now, of course, being three points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League (having played one more game) and favorites to reach the Champions League final is not a bad position to land in late April. It’s just that the journey has been rather bumpy.

Even the good times had their downsides. They might have had a 1-0 win over Newcastle, but with injuries slowing their momentum, they managed shots worth just 0.49 expected goals (xG). In a Premier League home match, this is the lowest they have reached since an October 2023 victory over Manchester City.

The curious thing is that one of the key pieces to bringing more punch to Arsenal is finally back in the lineup. When they need him most, Odegaard is back and his team has yet to click.

There are of course mitigating factors to this. Odegaard had played just over two hours of football since late February when he took to the pitch at the Etihad Stadium, a match where he created twice as many chances as anyone else on the pitch. The stats also liked the performance against Newcastle, 0.2 of Arsenal’s expected 0.77 assists (xA). These matches reflect a larger trend from this season and last. For all the debate around the club captain, he does a lot of things on the field that make him show up on the bar graphs.

Only three players with over 900 minutes under their belt average more assists per 90 than Odegaard. Perhaps the reason Arsenal have not provided the type of goal volume usually associated with a Premier League champion is that they do not have their main opportunity creator, their main ball progressor and their leader on and off the pitch.

Injuries have dogged Odegaard since he rolled an ankle playing for Norway in September 2024. Since the start of last season, he has started just 58 games. A total of 5,158 minutes seems like a lot, but it’s almost 3,000 fewer than William Saliba. Arsenal teammates are full of praise for their captain’s leadership qualities – Eberechi Eze recently called him the best captain in the world – but he prefers to lead from the front.

“It’s been frustrating being away from the pitch. I love being on the pitch, I love playing football, I want to play every game.

“I just tried to make the most of it, be with the team like you said and help in any way I can. Obviously it’s different when you’re not on the field, but I tried to make the most of it and I think I did a good job of staying in shape and coming back in the best possible condition. I’m just happy to be back now and doing what I love and trying to help the team as much as possible on the ground.”

He’s not the only one frustrated. Perhaps the disappointment expressed by some supporters with Odegaard also reflects the exceptional standards he set. In 2022-23, he has scored 15 goals in all competitions; the following year he reached double figures in goals and assists. In 2025-26, he has one goal and seven assists. When the output is this low, it’s no wonder that what stands out are the passes that weren’t played, the through ball that didn’t find a hesitant Viktor Gyokeres. Asked about the noise around him and his teammates, Odegaard admitted that “it’s sort of impossible not to see things” and also did not deny that the midfielder can do more to improve the frontline’s service.

“There’s always something we can improve on and that’s something we work on every day,” he said, “how we can be as dangerous as possible, how we can create chances, score goals in different ways.

“It’s definitely something we’re working on and for me personally as well, it’s kind of my job to see the players in front of me and I just need to create a lot of those situations.”

How to watch Atletico Madrid vs Arsenal, odds

• Date: Wednesday April 30 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
• Location: Metropolitano Stadium — Madrid
• Live broadcast: Paramount+
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And of course, while there is always room for improvement for Odegaard, it is worth thinking about how much room for improvement there seems to be when Arsenal are playing without their captain. Any fan who saw the team trying to progress the ball into deep areas and break pressure in February and March will probably have spent a few moments pleading for the return of their number 8. This is to say nothing of the huge improvement in the quality of pressing that comes with Odegaard in the team.

Even though he is no longer the player he once was, Arsenal need Odegaard. They’re not perfect with his return to the team, but perhaps the struggles of the last few games reflect the inevitable nervousness that comes with being on the cusp of history. The locker room leader wants to think differently. “It’s the best part of the season. Everyone is up for it, everyone is excited.

“We know what we played for and tomorrow will be another great opportunity for us to do something special. We know what’s there and we just have to take advantage of it and be ready.”

It’s an attitude shared by Arteta, who vowed to build “a team that wants to be dominant, that wants to win and that wants to start deciding the tie tomorrow.” It’s hard to imagine a player whose skills suit this dominant style of play better than the Arsenal captain.