Martin Odegaard scored his first Premier League goal of the season as Arsenal edged Brighton in a 2-1 victory. Meanwhile, injuries in defence forced Mikel Arteta to start Declan Rice at right back.
Furthermore, Martin Odegaard has had a difficult start to the season with ankle and shoulder injuries.
Martin Odegaard returns to fluency as Arsenal hold
It has been a difficult month for Arsenal as injuries to their forwards and backline have decimated the squad. Narrow wins over Wolves, Everton, and Brighton show that the Gunners are finding a way to win difficult games despite not being at their best. Martin Odegaard’s goal against Brighton was a prime example; the captain scored his first goal at the Emirates Stadium in 21 months as he led his side to a 2-1 win.
It has been a difficult season for the captain following a spate of shoulder and ankle injuries, which have limited his minutes. However, against Brighton, Odegaard looked close to his best; his silky skills and link-up with Saka in the first half caused Brighton problems as the Gunners failed to convert their chances yet again.
The goal was typical of Arsenal’s captain; he pulled away from the defenders and drifted to the edge of the box, finding space before firing into the bottom right corner. Arteta will be hoping that his captain can build on this performance ahead of the crucial clash against Aston Villa.
Injuries in defence force Declan Rice into right back
Meanwhile, injuries in defence led to Declan Rice playing right back against Brighton. The Gunners have been plagued by defensive injuries, with all of their first-choice defenders being affected. Furthermore, Ricardo Calafiori suffered an injury during the warm-up, forcing the Arsenal manager to make a defensive rejig.
It was an inspired performance by Declan Rice, one that Arsenal fans have become accustomed to following his move from West Ham. The Englishman was overlapping Saka and was defensively stable. His set-piece delivery has been the key to the Gunners’ success in creating chances.
Speaking after the Brighton game, Martin Odegaard praised Declan Rice for his performance. The captain said, “It was an unbelievable performance from him (Rice).” To play right-back probably for the first time in his life, it was an excellent performance from Declan.
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