Norway manager Stale Solbakken has spoken out in defence of Martin Odegaard, insisting he never worries about the midfielder’s performances.
Martin Odegaard of Arsenal celebrates at the final whistle after his team's 3-0 victory in the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Quarter Final First Le...
Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
Martin Odegaard was heavily criticised following Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final first leg defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, with many believing he didn’t show anything like his best in a key game for the Gunners.
Responding to those criticisms, Norway boss Stale Solbakken has suggested that perhaps viewers are spoiled by Odegaard’s consistently strong performances, and maybe it was just the scale of the occasion that made people go overboard.
“He is the one I worry about the least in the whole world,” Solbakken said. “Martin is always consistently good.
“He has had better matches, but he perhaps played more than a normal match. Many (critics) are spoiled, because he has played some huge games for Arsenal.”
EINDHOVEN, NETHERLANDS: Martin Odegaard of Arsenal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Round of 16 first leg match between PSV and Arsenal FC on March 04, 2025. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Odegaard has the chance to shut down the critics in the second leg in Paris on Wednesday night, having already bounced back from the first leg by providing his third assist in three Premier League games against Bournemouth at the weekend.
Arsenal’s late collapse in that game meant the 26-year-old’s perfectly weighted pass to Declan Rice wasn’t the focus of the post-match reaction, but it brought the Gunners captain up to 16 goals and assists for the season.
Considering Odegaard spent two months of the season on the sidelines injured, that’s not a bad tally.
LEICESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 15: Martin Odegaard of Arsenal celebrates after Mikel Merino of Arsenal (not pictured) scores his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Leicester City FC and Arsenal FC at The King Power Stadium on February 15, 2025 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
Odegaard has had a couple of great games away in Europe this season, providing an assist in the 5-1 win over Sporting CP and adding three goal contributions in the away leg of Arsenal’s last-16 tie against PSV Eindhoven.
The task now is to repeat the feat in Paris and send Arsenal to their first Champions League final since 2006.
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