Arsenal fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat against PSG in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Tuesday night.
Ousmane Dembele scored the decisive goal just four minutes into the game, and despite several opportunities for both sides, it proved to be the winner.
Mikel Merino had the ball in the net in the second half but the goal was ruled offside. PSG, too, had a handful of golden chances to extend their lead but failed to capitalise.
While it wasn’t Arsenal’s worst overall performance, a few individuals underwhelmed on the night — most notably captain Martin Odegaard.
Former Arsenal player slams Martin Odegaard’s performance vs PSG
Perry Grove did not hold back with his assessment of Arsenal captain Odegaard’s performance against PSG.
The former Gunners winger suggested Odegaard, who has been likened to Dennis Bergkamp, was overthinking his game.
He highlighted that the long-term injuries to Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz have disrupted Odegaard’s rhythm, especially his link-up play on the right-hand side.
Groves went on to say that, if it were up to him, he would have substituted the £30m (Sky Sports) midfielder much earlier and brought on young Ethan Nwaneri.
Speaking on talkSPORT, he said: “I think with Odegaard he is not in any rhythm. He missed Saka on the right and Havertz up front.
“Watching him last night, there was no lack of effort at all. You could tell in the second half he got on the ball a little bit more.
“There was a couple of times when he had a little give and go with Saka, but he did not actually play the go. He did not play the first-time passes.
“So I think he is probably overthinking it a bit too much. If it were me, I would have taken him off after 65 – 70 mins because we had a little lull in the game for that period of time, and we needed some fresh legs and inspiration. I would have put Ethan Nwaneri on a little bit earlier.
“But, form is temporary and class is permanent. You know what I mean and I could just tell and you could tell he’s getting frustrated with himself you know when the ball’s coming into him he’s not just quite getting himself on the turn and spinning.
“From a player like him you’ll expect a massive performance in the second leg”
Martin Odegaard’s performance in numbers vs PSG
Odegaard’s performance was undeniably underwhelming, with the Arsenal captain struggling to make any meaningful impact during his 89 minutes on the pitch.
Despite playing nearly the full match, he failed to register a single shot and managed just 39 touches — a reflection of how disconnected he appeared in Arsenal’s midfield.
| Minutes Played | 89 |
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 0 |
| Shots | 0 |
| Touches | 39 |
| Tackles | 2 |
| Interceptions | 0 |
| Possession lost | 13 |
With the Gunners trailing by a goal heading into the second leg in France, they’ll need their skipper to step up and deliver a far more influential display.
In what is a slight boost for the Gunners, Dembele may have picked up an injury against Arsenal, and his availability for the return fixture remains uncertain.
With the Champions League being Arsenal’s last chance to win a silverware this season, fans will hope for a big performance from their side.
