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Mikel Arteta names the Arsenal player who’s ‘trying more than anybody else’ to make things happen in pursuit of Premier League title
Arsenal are facing an uphill battle in pursuit of the Premier League title in wake of the results last weekend.
The Gunners were hoping to get to within five points of Premier League leaders Liverpool ahead of their meeting with West Ham.
However, Arsenal ended up losing 1-0 and, to make things worse for the Gunners, Liverpool ran out 2-0 winners over Manchester City.
This has seen Arsenal slip to 11 points behind Liverpool, and catching up with the Reds has become much harder for the Gunners.
However, Mikel Arteta has stressed that he’s not giving up the fight as he named the player who’s “trying more than anybody else” to make things happen.
READ MORE: Ian Wright says Arsenal’s board simply have to sign £50m player this summer
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says Martin Odegaard is ‘trying more than anybody else’ to make things happen
Arteta, speaking ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League meeting with Nottingham Forest, was asked about Martin Odegaard’s form.
Odegaard spent time on the sidelines earlier this season but, when he returned to action, it didn’t take long for him to get back his usually high standards.
However, the £30million man has struggled to maintain those levels, leading to the media asking Arteta whether Odegaard’s injury has had an ongoing impact on his season.
“We don’t know. Probably the answer would be no because he came back in such a strong way and performing at a very, very high level,” Arteta said, as per .
“And then just sustaining that over a period of time, like we ask the players to do constantly, especially the creative players, is very difficult.
“His attitude, how willing he is, the other day with ten men, how he takes responsibility and how he wants to drive the team is remarkable.
“That’s what I demand the players, that we need to continue to make things happen and Martin certainly is trying more than anybody else.”
Ian Wright’s theory on Martin Odegaard’s downturn in form
Wright recently agreed with the notion that Odegaard has perhaps been hindered by returning too soon from his ankle injury.
“I think you made a good point, right, about him coming back maybe earlier than he should have,” said Wright.
“He’s not right. He’s not. And I’ll tell you what it makes me worry.
“I know that Saka had an operation, so he’s going to take longer. But I worry that they will be doing the same thing, rushing him through.
“And then you see what you guys won’t see on a daily basis when your top players in your club, when you are at the higher echelons of the league and your top players are out.
“It’s every day, someone, how you doing? How long, what do you think? We need you, we need you.
“And people will say things like that, and they’re saying it like, yo man, how you doing Saka? We need you bro, we need you bro.
“That jovial, jokey kind of thing, something where you are injured at the time, sitting there thinking, ‘I really want to be playing’ and you can’t, that adds to the pressure of getting back sooner.
“Look at, listen to the discourse when Odegaard was injured. Oh my God, we need him back, we need him back.”