Martin Odegaard has scored one goal this season, and it was about as inconsequential as they come: a penalty slotted away during the 5-2 thrashing of West Ham United in November. He has recorded a handful of assists across all competitions, but the goals-scored column is otherwise empty.
It is a drastic decline. Last season Odegaard scored eight times; he scored 15 in the campaign before that, topping Arsenal’s end-of-season charts alongside Gabriel Martinelli. At a time when there is scrutiny on Arsenal’s lack of a ruthless striker, underlined by the match-winning performance of Newcastle’s Alexander Isak at the Emirates this week, as well as a need for fresh impetus on the wing, Odegaard’s goals are needed now more than ever.
