Martin Odegaard has insisted Arsenal still have a “lot to play for” between now and the end of the season, with the Gunners captain warning his teammates of Tottenham’s quality ahead of Wednesday evening’s North London Derby.
Mikel Arteta’s side are without a win in their previous three games and go into the clash on the back of being dumped out of the FA Cup by Manchester United. Still, a win over Spurs will propel Arsenal into second in the Premier League and ensure they remain within touching distance of league leaders Liverpool.
Tottenham, meanwhile, are currently 13th in the league and have been inconsistent under Ange Postecoglou. The likes of Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Richarlison have been out injured for the majority of the season, although the Brazilian is expected to make his return at Emirates Stadium.
Ahead of the second North London Derby of the season, Odegaard has opened up on what went wrong against Man Utd on Sunday and has looked ahead to the clash against Tottenham. Writing in his captain’s notes published in the matchday programme, Odegaard said: “We were all hurting after Sunday’s defeat, but as soon as we came into training on Monday morning we were determined to get going again straight away.
“Having a massive game like the derby tonight is a great way to get everyone completely focused again and looking forward. We know how much this game means to all of you – our supporters – but also to the players and everyone at the club. That’s the good thing about having a big game so soon after a disappointment.
“It was really tough to take on Sunday – it was very frustrating for everyone. On the pitch I had the feeling that we dominated the game from the first half until the end. We could have been sharper in front of goal and also in the last pass and the final shot. But to lose that game at home when we dominated everything, it’s a tough one to take.
“And of course I have to take responsibility for the penalty. I should have scored – that’s not good enough from me. It was a crucial moment of the game as well because I think if I scored that, we probably go on to win the game. I felt like I’d let the team down, so it was important for me to step up again in the shoot-out, and I wanted to go first like usual. It was good that one went in, but in the end it wasn’t enough, so I still feel that responsibility to the team.
“We have to keep on going though, and know we will get rewarded if we keep dominating games like that. In a single game of course it can happen that you don’t win, but in the long run it will pay off. We need to be sharper in the key moments to make sure we get the results we’ve worked for. We have to keep going and keep improving. There is no choice for us now. We have to be at our best back in the Premier League tonight.
