Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard speaks after Manchester City star Rodri’s shock challenge

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard speaks after Manchester City star Rodri’s shock challenge

Martin Odegaard thinks Norway “should have been awarded a penalty” against Spain after Rodri’s heavy tackle on him.
The Premier League title rivals met in the country’s first Euro 2024 qualifiers on Saturday, with Spain winning 3-0 to top Group C.
Rodri took a heavy toll on his title rival during his Getty international shoot

The match took a fantastic turn at the end as 32-year-old ex-Newcastle player Joselu promptly scored two goals after making his debut with 10 minutes remaining.
But it was Manchester City star Rodri’s tackle on Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard that stole the headlines, with the Spaniard charging at the Gunners’ talisman and clearing him in the penalty area.

The Man City midfielder somehow went unpunished for his challenge, managing to dodge a yellow card and avoid a penalty, convincing Arsenal fans that he had purposely targeted his title rival. And after the final whistle, Odegaard embodied Jose Mourinho in his post-match interview when he indicated he wasn’t too happy with the tackle or the decision.

After the game, which Spain won 3-0, he told TV2: “I’m pretty sure I should have gotten a penalty. It comes with its rivets right on my ankle.
“But I’m sure I’ll be punished [if I say more]. I don’t want to say more about the referee. It’s best not to say anything.”

Norwegian manager Stale Solbakken also echoed Odegaard’s comments.
“It’s a clear penalty!” he said. “He finishes the shot and after that you can’t foul. If I put someone down after the ball has gone, it’s a penalty. I’m getting a bit tired of that.”

The Gunners currently have an eight-point lead over table tops Man City, although they have played one game more than Pep Guardiola’s side. The title rivals will have to wait a month before facing each other as they face off with six games of the season remaining.
But if Saturday’s clash between two team stars sparks a stir, it will be a heated affair.

what do you think about this injury? was it intentional or done mistakenly, leave your comment…

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Arsenal star Gabriel Jesus asks for two things from team mates after Europa League exit 

Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus has sent a message of encouragement to his teammates after being kicked out of the Europa League by Sporting CP on Thursday night

Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus has urged his team-mates to hold their heads high after being kicked out of the Europa League by Sporting CP on Thursday night.

Eventually the game went into extra time where Leandro Trossard saw a great chance which was saved by Sporting goalkeeper Adan before Manuel Ugarte was shown a red card after being shown a second yellow card for a nasty foul on Bukayo Saka in the dying embers of the game. Ruben Amorim’s side scored all five penalties in the penalty shootout, while Gabriel Martinelli failed to convert his penalty meaning Mikel Arteta’s side were knocked out of the tournament in the round of 16.

After the final whistle, centre-forward Jesus took to social media to motivate his team-mates. The Brazil international, who was substituted at half-time, posted a photo of the Arsenal players lined up at the halfway line during the penalty shootout, captioned: ‘Heads up’ with a kick fist and attached heart emojis. Jesus has been out of action for more than three months due to a knee injury sustained during Brazil’s World Cup campaign in November. But the 25-year-old finally returned to the pitch in Sunday’s 3-0 win over Fulham.

Next up for the Gunners is a home game against Crystal Palace, who on Friday morning decided to sack manager Patrick Vieira.

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William Saliba happy to focus on Arsenal title bid as contract talks continue

William Saliba insists he is “so happy” at Arsenal as contract negotiations continue behind the scenes of an increasingly compelling Premier League title bid.
The Gunners are eight points clear at the top after a 2-0 derby win at Tottenham on Sunday.

An own goal from Hugo Lloris and a long-range effort from captain Martin Odegaard secured Arsenal’s first-ever victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and propelled them higher up the table.

France international Saliba has played a big role in the club’s revival after making his debut earlier in the season after being loaned out three times from north London.

His performances have been so high that he is set to sign a new contract with Arsenal and he is ready to continue the talks in the background as Mikel Arteta’s side seek glory. “We are delighted because the derby is an important match, and it was also an away game,” he said.
“We know it’s not easy to win here, so we are so happy. We didn’t concede a goal and scored two.

“We are focused on ourselves. We are not targeting our rivals. We have to continue like this and only focus on ourselves.
“I’m so happy here. The club are talking to my agent and me, the only thing I can do is (focus on my football). I’m so happy here.”

After Spurs’ victory, Arteta said a continued title challenge “would need almost perfection” for the rest of the season, with Saliba now hitting back with a win over Manchester United – the only team Arsenal should beat this season – looking for the next weekend.

“It’s never enough,” he replied when asked what it meant to be eight points clear at this stage. “We know we have a lot of games to play. We have to be focused because things can change quickly. If we lose a game we can’t have confidence afterwards, so we have to be focused to go ahead and try to win. We focus on ourselves.

“There is no pressure. It’s better to have that pressure when you’re up than when you’re down. It’s better to continue like this and we don’t need to be under pressure.

“We know we have a big game next week. We know they beat us. They are the only team to have beaten us in the Premier League this season and we want to beat them again at home. “We will prepare for this match very well, I think, and I hope we win in front of our fans. We will continue. We didn’t know about it before (Arsenal could win the championship), but when summer started, I said tell me we can do something “.