Arsenal fans have now had their say on the performance that Martin Odegaard produced against Aston Villa on Sunday.

Arsenal struggled as they fell to a 2-0 defeat against Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

As the Gunners toiled against Unai Emery’s side, Martin Odegaard all too often looked like the only player on the pitch in red and white capable of turning the game in the hosts’ favour, until he was taken off in the 78th minute.

In the first half in particular, the Norwegian playmaker produced some spectacular touches. He danced around his opponents, gliding into space, and playing defence-splitting passes through the lines. However, for all of the 25-year-old’s intent and quality, the Gunners were unable to make the breakthrough whilst he was on the pitch.

Did Mikel Arteta make a mistake in taking Martin Odegaard off?

After he went off, things went from bad to worse for Mikel Arteta’s men. Ten minutes after the skipper’s exit from the stage, Aston Villa had taken a 2-0 lead after a quick-fire double from Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins.

This result put a huge dent in Arsenal’s title hopes. The race to be crowned champions is now in Manchester City’s hands. The North London club need Pep Guardiola’s men to drop points between now and the end of the campaign if they are to stand any chance of coming out on top.

Reflecting on this match, Arteta may regret taking Odegaard off, due to the structure that he brings to the team. Whilst his influence on the ball lessened whilst he was still on the pitch in the second half, the captain undeniably gives this Arsenal team an example to follow with his discipline and work-rate when he is on the pitch. Odegaard has been called a perfect Arsenal captain for a reason.

Arsenal fans have say on Martin Odegaard display v Aston Villa

Throughout the match and after the final whistle, plenty of Arsenal fans took to X to share their thoughts on Odegaard’s display.

One fan said, “He’s in flow state today.” Another stated, “He’s amazing.”

Odegaard is playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers.
— Poorly Drawn Arsenal (@cantdrawarsenal) April 14, 2024

One supporter claimed, “Odegaard really is a special player. Technically even better than Santi Cazorla for me. Beautiful footballer.” Another chipped in with, “The skills on this boy. Insane.”

Odegaard with the best 45 minutes I’ve seen from an Arsenal player this season. Utterly magical. Doing everything but score: big 2nd half to come!
— James B (@JamesB_afc) April 14, 2024

Odegaard and the rest of his Arsenal teammates will be devastated by this defeat. However, the season is not yet over and it is vital that they bounce back positively with a win against Wolves next time out in the Premier League.

First, though, they must pick themselves up for Wednesday night’s massive second-leg encounter with Bayern Munich.

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