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After Arsenal lost to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the UEFA Champions League semi-final (first-leg) on April 29, former Liverpool player and pundit Mark Lawrenson has asked Mikel Arteta to take away the captain's armband from Martin Odegaard. Lawrenson has also rated the Norwegian's performance - a 'six' out of 10 this season.
Lawrenson believes stripping Odegaard of the captaincy will help him focus on his own performance. Speaking to Paddy Power (via Mirror), he said:
"The captain’s armband should be taken away from Martin Odegaard, so he can get back to focusing on his performances. We all know that he’s a good player, but he’s just had a six out of 10 season."
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Odegaard is considered one of the most important levers in Arteta's system. An improvement in his performance will help the Gunners add more firepower in attack.
The pundit also mentioned whom Arteta should hand over the captaincy to. For Lawrenson, Declan Rice is the perfect candidate to lead the side. In 2023, Rice led West Ham United to the UEFA Europa Conference League title.
According to Lawrenson, the captaincy will not affect Rice's on-field performance. He stated:
"If you gave Declan Rice the armband instead, you imagine that it wouldn’t affect his performances, especially considering he was captain at West Ham. I’d give it to Rice so Odegaard can focus on improving his performances."
Arsenal to have tough fight in second leg of UCL semis
Arsenal will have to strike off the one-goal deficit at the Parc de Princes on May 7 when they face Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. The first leg saw an early fourth-minute goal from Ousmane Dembele making the difference between the two sides.
Arsenal, through Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, had their share of chances. However, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma stood tall to avert danger. The Parisians also had opportunities to extend their lead. But with Joao Neves striking the ball over the bar and Goncalo Ramos hitting the woodwork, the scoreline remained unchanged.
After a 2-0 defeat to Barcelona in the Round of 16 in February 2016, this was the first time Arsenal failed to score in a home game in the UEFA Champions League. They created three big chances on the night but could not rattle the opposition net.
A similar thing happened in the Carabao Cup game against Newcastle United in January. That day, the Gunners were able to create six big chances, but failed to convert.
Heading into PSG's den, the second-leg will undoubtedly present more challenges to Mikel Arteta's side. The manager will have to work on his tactics to cultivate the best from his contingent.
