Not everybody is happy at Arsenal as worrying signs emerge
Kai Havertz of Arsenal looks dejected after Nico O'Reilly of Manchester City (not pictured) scores his team's first goal during the Carabao Cup Final match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on March 22, 2026 in London, England.
Arsenal displayed a worrying quality against Manchester City(Image: Getty)
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Arsenal are still dealing with the hangover of losing out on their first piece of silverware this season. Mikel Arteta’s hopes of securing a quadruple were left in tatters with the 2-0 Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City on Sunday.
Perhaps more concerning than the result for the Gunners was the manner in which they were dominated by City at Wembley Stadium. They will now need to rally together for the crucial final part of the season with three trophies still to fight for, including the Premier League, which they lead by nine points.
Paul Merson’s worries
Gunners legend Paul Merson believes the most concerning aspect of Arsenal’s performance against City was that 'nobody wanted the ball'. The Gunners endured one of their worst periods in any game this season in the 20 minutes after half-time, where they were unable to string more than a few passes together.
They lacked a composed character to keep the ball and instead kept hoofing it upfield to the opposition, which allowed City to launch attack after attack and eventually score two goals in quick succession. Former Arsenal midfielder Merson was left worried that a similar issue among the outfield players may rear its head again this season.
He wrote in his Sky Sports column: "It's a bad mistake from Kepa, a shocker of a mistake. But he wasn't on the pitch when eight of Arsenal's outfield players were getting ripped to shreds. Only two Arsenal players could walk off the pitch with their heads held high and they were William Saliba and Gabriel. They were outstanding and they couldn't do any more.
"For the other eight players, Kepa's done them a favour because everyone's now talking about him and the mistake. But no-one will talk about the other players not deserving more than a five out of 10. I was at Wembley and what I was watching was: who on Arsenal's team wanted the ball when they were getting beat and it was going horribly wrong? And no-one wanted the ball. Nobody.
"If any of those players want to sit down and watch a video of me and go: I was looking for it here and there, I would say, ‘I'm afraid you weren't'. It was pretty worrying."
'Grumpy' Odegaard
Martin Odegaard of Arsenal applauds fans after the Carabao Cup Final match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on March 22, 2026 in London, England.
Martin Odegaard has cut a frustrated figure(Image: Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has been described as being 'grumpy' due to his non-stop injury problems this season. The playmaker has missed his side’s last eight matches in all competitions, having suffered from a recurring shoulder problem this season, followed by knee injuries.
Odegaard was absent from Arsenal’s Carabao Cup final defeat and will now miss Norway’s upcoming matches against the Netherlands and Switzerland. The expectation is that the 27-year-old midfielder will continue his rehabilitation at London Colney and return to action in early April, though that hasn’t made Odegaard any less frustrated.
Norway manager Stale Solbakken said: "He is very frustrated and grumpy. He has not been involved since we beat Moldova 11-1. It is his last international match. He was not on the field against Israel, Estonia or Italy. It is clear that it hurts.
"Now it’s three weeks until Arsenal play again. Or two-and-a-half weeks. I think it could be a goal for Martin to be in a squad then. It’s within reach. There is no reason for him to travel now. He has to train. If he wants to use a day off to come here, he is welcome to do so. But it is not something that has been planned."
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