ODEGAARD: WE’VE GOT TO STICK TOGETHER
SKIPPER’S CALL TO ARMS AS HE INSISTS ARSENAL CAN STILL DO ‘SOMETHING SPECIAL’ THIS SEASON
MARTIN ODEGAARD today called on Arsenal to pull together to ensure their season does not crumble after their Champions League exit.
Arsenal crashed out of Europe with a 1-0 defeat against Bayern Munich here in Germany last night, as Harry Kane’s Bundesliga side went through 3-2 on aggregate.
After the Gunners lost 2-0 against Aston Villa on Sunday to hand control in the title race to Manchester City, their campaign is now in danger of unravelling.
Arsenal faltered badly around this time last year, but Odegaard insists they can salvage “something special” this season ahead of a huge game at Wolves on Saturday.
Mikel Arteta says his stuttering side will give everything to fight for the title, while Declan Rice has called on his team-mates to “stand tall and be counted” at Molineux.
Asked about the risk of another season fading away, Odegaard said: “We just have to stick together, get back up and keep pushing. We can still do something very special.
“Every time you get hit, you have to stand up and go again. The key thing is to stand together and lift each other up. Of course, we want to win something, and that’s been the big goal.
“All of us are in this together. We win and lose together. We all have an important role now to help each other and lift each other up.”
Arsenal looked tired towards the end of their defeat last night, and Arteta has vowed to give his players “support” and “love”.
The Gunners are two points behind Manchester City at the top of the table, but they play twice in the Premier League before Pep Guardiola’s side are in action again.
After the Wolves game, Arsenal host Chelsea on Tuesday and then travel to Tottenham in the north London derby a week on Sunday.
City are themselves reeling after their hopes of a double-treble were ended by a penalty shootout defeat against Real Madrid on a dramatic night in the Champions League.
Rice (below, last night) has called for a “big reaction” from Arsenal, who have three days to pick themselves up for their Molineux trip.
“It’s gutting, you know I’m hurting,” said Rice. “I came into this game full of hunger, desire, passion. I wanted to just get over the line for this club and so did all the players as well.
“There’s a lot of demand and pressure on us now to deliver, and rightly so because, you know, we’re good at what we do.
“You know, this is
Arsenal Football
Club, one of the biggest clubs in the world, and we need to stand tall and be counted for.
“And, that now goes back to Saturday. We’ve got
Wolves away, and that’s where our big reaction is going to happen.”