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Some recent rumors claim that Martin Odegaard could be stripped of the Arsenal captain’s armband following the Gunners’ series of disappointing performances. However, as per The Athletic, these are baseless and the Norwegian will retain the armband next season.
The midfielder started well for Arsenal this season but was then sidelined with a knee injury for nearly three months. However, his performances have wavered of late as he has scored just one goal in the Premier League since the turn of the year.
His latest subpar display came across the two legs of Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final clash with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). He couldn’t impact the game in the first leg at the Emirates, and the second leg in Paris was no different.
The Gunners fell to a 1-0 loss against the Ligue 1 giants in London in the first leg. After the game, former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson urged manager Mikel Arteta to strip him of captaincy and give it to Declan Rice.
Amidst the uncertainty, The Athletic claimed that the Gunners are fairly certain that the Norwegian will still be the Arsenal captain at the start of next season. It is believed that Arteta still will keep faith with him.
Martin Odegaard was handed Arsenal’s captain armband in 20022 following the departure of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette. He is also the captain of the Norway national team.
''Everyone has dips in form'' – Martin Odegaard gets support from Arsenal teammate amid dip in form
Declan Rice had seemed to agree that Martin Odegaard had lost his best form, as he threw his support behind the Gunners skipper.
Rice said prior to the second leg of the semi-final loss to PSG (via Metro):
''Obviously, everyone has dips in form, I’ve had different dips in form before, [but] it doesn’t matter because he can deliver on the biggest stage. We’re always with Martin because he’s one of our best players. He’s our leader, he’s our captain.''
''He trains every single day, he plays every minute of every game. He’s one of the best lads I’ve seen away from the pitch in terms of how he lives his life. He’s got the full respect of the dressing room, the way he demands, the way he drives the team, the way he speaks. You wouldn’t see him as that type of character, but he really is behind the scenes.''
''He’s been amazing for us and I wouldn’t want anyone else being our captain. I think the lads feel the same way about that as well.’
In the ongoing season, Martin Odegaard has scored five goals and provided 11 assists in 42 appearances across competitions. He joined the Gunners from Real Madrid in 2021, initially on loan before the move was made permanent.
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Ezekiel Olamide
Ezekiel is a European football journalist who covers breaking news and transfer rumors at Sportskeeda. He is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Accounting and has a work experience of around 3 years, having previously worked at the likes of Opera News Hub and Extratime Talk. He is a proponent of factual accuracy, meticulous research, verification of sources and journalistic ethics and standards.
An ardent Chelsea fan, Ezekiel's journey as a football fan began in his childhood, witnessing Ronaldinho dazzle with his skills. His interest in the beautiful game deepened after Nigeria were knocked out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he was impressed with the Super Eagles' fighting spirit in their 2-2 Group B draw against South Korea. Some other World Cup matches which have left a deep impact on him were Belgium's incredible comeback against Japan in the round of 16 of the 2018 version and the 2022 final.
Lionel Messi is the one true GOAT for Ezekiel and he also follows the Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League owing to him and Cristiano Ronaldo. When not writing, he spends his free time deepening his SEO knowledge and watching skits.
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Edited by Aditya Singh