The first two actions of Martin Odegaard’s five-minute cameo against Inter Milan gave a glimpse into what Arsenal have been missing in his two-month absence.
Soon after taking to the pitch, he was leading Arsenal’s press and forcing Inter to play the ball back to goalkeeper, Yann Sommer, who then launched it back into Arsenal’s possession.
Fifteen seconds later, when Thomas Partey laid the ball back to William Saliba in defence, Odegaard was already making an effort to run into the right half-space he so often occupies. He received the ball unnoticed by Federico Dimarco, which allowed Ben White to overlap from right-back and Bukayo Saka to drift in off the touchline, as seen below.
Both of these moments made Arsenal’s play appear more natural. Those rotations between Odegaard, White and Saka have been key to Arsenal’s attack in recent seasons, while their club captain’s ability to set the tone defensively has made them dominant even without the ball. These aspects of their play have been lacking severely since his ankle injury in the September international break and, despite a Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz-led 4-4-2 working at first, it has become unstuck of late.
Natural spacing has emerged as an issue, with Arsenal’s play slightly more predictable since returning from the October international break. The combinations that Odegaard regularly enjoys with White and Saka do not just benefit that trio, but the team as a whole. Structurally, a midfield three, which tends to be the setup when Odegaard plays, provides better support for both of Arsenal’s wide players.
Trossard’s performances against Leicester, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool showed he can dovetail well as a link between Arsenal’s wide and central threats, but inconsistencies have come in the weeks since. As well as Arsenal attempting 47 crosses against Inter on Wednesday because play was funnelled out to Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, the lack of midfield support was a particular issue in the 1-0 defeat by Newcastle.
Martinelli came under scrutiny but, as mentioned in The Briefing for that game, the winger had little to no options upon receiving the ball.
In the first of two examples below, Arsenal’s midfielders are behind those of Newcastle’s when Martinelli receives the ball and don’t get closer to him as he goes up the touchline.
In the second, Mikel Merino is the closest player when the Brazilian takes control, but decides to run into the box rather than towards Martinelli to give him an option. The winger is then crowded out by three Newcastle players, while five Arsenal players wait inside the box with five more Newcastle defenders.
The reason for the emphasis on more natural play is because it requires less thought and time from Arsenal’s players, making it more difficult for opponents to pin them down. This summer, Odegaard himself said: “It’s really important when you’re playing football to not think too much. You have to think about all the tactical things and what we’re doing on the pitch, but there is a lot of instinct on the pitch as well. It’s important to play with freedom. It’s also easier when you play in a system that works so well.”
Unfortunately for Arsenal, they have not been able to utilise that system for most of this season.
A five-minute outing would not suggest Odegaard is ready to start against Chelsea, but that fleeting display from the 25-year-old showed how much can be altered by a change of shape. Ethan Nwaneri has been trusted more in the past week with 30 minutes against Newcastle and eight minutes in what was his Champions League debut against Inter.
Mostly used in the pocket, Odegaard occupies in the captain’s absence, Nwaneri shifted over to play as a left-sided No 8 in added time. This is not new for the 17-year-old. He impressed there in pre-season, intelligently assisting Gabriel Jesus against Manchester United, while he did have exposure on that side during his time with the under-21s last season.
As has been the case in his other cameos, the teenager continued to show personality on the pitch with how he evaded challenges and changed the look of Arsenal’s attack. A start for him against a Chelsea midfield of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia may be too soon for Mikel Arteta but, regardless, now feels right for a return to a midfield three.
Aside from midfield structure, how Arsenal’s full-backs impact their wingers is also important. On the right, it has already been outlined why White and Saka is the best pairing. Partey has performed well recently but is more useful at the base of midfield with a lack of athleticism costly at right-back both in attack and defence. This was evident in his first performance there this season against Southampton in October and again away to Newcastle, with the lack of movement around Saka making the Arsenal forward easier to isolate.
Jurrien Timber brings something slightly different to White at right-back. His assist for Martinelli against Leicester showed a similar willingness to overlap Saka, but his delivery was more of a picked-out low cross than the kind White tends to serve up.
On the left, Martinelli has benefited most with Riccardo Calafiori behind him. The Italian’s ability to go on the outside and inside coincided with Martinelli’s two goals and two assists in three games against Manchester City, Leicester City and Southampton.
Timber does not provide as natural support from that side, but Arteta has also trusted Oleksandr Zinchenko lately. The Ukraine international played just over an hour away to Preston at the end of last month and came on with Nwaneri against Newcastle and Inter.
There were some differences Zinchenko brought to that flank that could benefit Arsenal from the start of a match — even if he is less reliable defensively. During Arsenal’s slow start to last season, it was the joint-substitution of Gabriel and Zinchenko that helped breathe life, and more verticality, into their play at home to Fulham in August.
Odegaard cannot return soon enough for Arsenal and hopefully he gets more minutes on Sunday than at San Siro, but there are more dynamics at play that could help reignite his team’s season. A 4-4-2 formation has helped Arteta massively at various points in 2024, both this season and last, but Arsenal now need to find a fluidity that has been missing.
After dropping points in three successive league games, picking up three at Stamford Bridge feels essential — especially with Arsenal finding themselves level on points with Chelsea ahead of kick-off.
(Top photos: Getty Images)
