Arsenal’s record without Martin Odegaard this season shows just how badly the Gunners have missed their captain.
Norwegian attacking midfielder Odegaard made his long-awaited return to action in Wednesday’s defeat to Inter Milan.
The Arsenal captain has missed a dozen games in all competitions since injuring his ankle in September.
But while his injury-time cameo from the bench did not impact the result at the San Siro, his return to the match-day squad is a very welcome boost for the Gunners.
Mikel Arteta’s side have struggled without their talismanic captain. Not only have they missed his leadership, but also his creative output.
Arsenal Record Without Odegaard Shows His Importance
Below, we have compared Arsenal’s record in the ten Premier League and Champions League games Odegaard missed with his previous ten games for the Gunners in those competitions.
We have not included Arsenal’s EFL Cup wins over Preston and Bolton, as it’s likely he would have been rested anyway.
The defeat to Inter on Wednesday has also been excluded, as Odegaard only played a couple of minutes.
Arsenal’s Last Ten Premier League & Champions League Games With And Without Odegaard
| Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | |
| Without Odegaard | 5 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 10 |
| With Odegaard | 8 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 5 |
During Odegaard’s absence, Arsenal won just five of their ten Premier League and Champions League fixtures.
With three draws and two defeats, it’s clear their form has suffered in the captain’s absence.
Now winless in their last three league games, Odegaard’s return can not have come sooner for Mikel Arteta’s men.
The Gunners have lost just one of their last ten league or Champions League matches with the Norwegian starting.
That defeat was a 1-0 second-leg loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Arsenal have not been beaten in the Premier League when Martin Odegaard has started since they lost 2-0 to Aston Villa in April.
That is their sole Premier League defeat with Odegaard starting in 2024, a run of 21 games in which they have only failed to win on three occasions.
With Sunday’s huge trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea, Arsenal fans will be praying their star man is fit enough to start at the weekend.
While still in the title hunt, they will need a run similar to their last 21 games with Odegaard if they are to catch back up to leaders Liverpool and Manchester City.
Arsenal and Chelsea kick off at 4:30pm on Sunday afternoon.
