Odegaard urges Arsenal to 'come back stronger' after Europa League exit

By Sports Desk March 16, 2023

Martin Odegaard urged Arsenal to "come back stronger" after elimination from the Europa League at the hands of Sporting CP.

Gabriel Martinelli's missed penalty in the shoot-out saw the Gunners suffer defeat in the last-16 second leg at Emirates Stadium, having drawn both legs.

The result means Arsenal have now failed to win any of their last five knockout matches at home in the Europa League (D3 L2) since beating Valencia in May 2019.

All eyes will now be on the Premier League campaign, where Arsenal hold a five-point advantage over Manchester City with 11 games left to play, and Odegaard wants his side to respond against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

"I think we did enough in some periods of the game but most of the game we were not on the level that we should be," he told BT Sport.

"Part of the game we did well but, throughout the whole game, we didn't play our best football. It was a tight game in the end and could have gone both ways.

"They are a good team, we knew that, we knew their qualities, and we were prepared, but I think it was more about us today.

"We didn't play the way we normally do, and we didn't maybe put in the energy that we usually do. That's disappointing but now we have to look forward and be ready for Sunday.

"We have to remember it has been a great season, we've done amazing things this year. Of course, it is a big blow to go out of this competition, it was a big goal for us, but we have to look forward now.

"We have to look at Sunday, come back stronger and make sure we finish well in the league, that's the only thing we can do now.

"We win and lose together. It doesn't matter. When we're winning everyone is happy, when we lose we have to pick up the spirit. We win and lose together."

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    Mikel Arteta confirmed Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard will be out "for a while" after suffering a significant ankle injury while playing for Norway.

    The 25-year-old hobbled off during his country's Nations League 2-1 win over Austria in Oslo on September 9 and returned to London on crutches.

    Odegaard missed Sunday's 1-0 derby victory against Tottenham and Arteta revealed the bad news on the midfielder ahead of Arsenal's opening Champions League game away to Atalanta.

    "The scans showed that he's got some damage especially on one of the ligaments in the ankle," the Arsenal manager said on Wednesday.

    "It's something quite significant so we're going to lose him for a while."

    Arteta, whose side are second in the league and two points behind Manchester City, said he hoped it would not be months "but let's see".

    Odegaard has become a key player for Arsenal, missing only a handful of games over the last three seasons, and a lengthy absence will come as a huge blow.

    "He's our captain. He's been one of the biggest and best players in our team," continued Arteta.

    "Our identity is very linked to how he plays and behaves. It's a big test for the team to see how able we are to show a different face."

    Norway coach Stale Solbakken told VG newspaper he had been fully updated about the injury and was "preparing for a life without Martin".

    "We have to take it week by week and day by day. Some types of damage go faster and some go slower," he said.

  • Man City 0-0 Inter: Guardiola's men frustrated in repeat of 2023 final Man City 0-0 Inter: Guardiola's men frustrated in repeat of 2023 final

    Manchester City's bid for a second Champions League crown got off to a frustrating start as they were held to a goalless draw by Inter in a repeat of the 2023 final.

    Both teams squandered numerous chances in a breathless back-and-forth affair at the Etihad Stadium, with Inter defending resolutely before threatening to hit Pep Guardiola's hosts on the break on numerous occasions.

    City's goal machine Erling Haaland was hoping to become the fastest player in history to score 100 goals for a European club, but he saw a header held by Yann Sommer early on before rolling another effort narrowly wide of the post.

    Marcus Thuram flashed a first-time shot over the crossbar as Simone Inzaghi's men fired a warning shot of their own, while another Sommer save prevented Phil Foden from capping a delightful City move with a goal.

    Inter's clearest opening came in the 53rd minute, but former Manchester United defender Matteo Darmian inexplicably tried to find a team-mate with a backheel when presented with a clear sight of Ederson's goal.

    Henrikh Mkhitaryan had City fans breathing a huge sigh of relief when he missed another golden late opportunity, sending a wild effort spinning over the crossbar from 10 yards out.

    But the last chances went City's way, Ilkay Gundogan eliciting huge groans from the home fans with two misses from short-range headers in the dying seconds.

    Data Debrief: Inter make a statement

    City are always favourites on their own turf, but Inter were expected to put up a fight on Wednesday and they did precisely that, marking themselves out as potential challengers for the European crown.

    It was just the second time City had failed to find the net in 42 home Champions League matches under Guardiola, with the other being a goalless draw with Sporting CP in 2022.

    Alessandro Bastoni, Francesco Acerbi and Yann Bisseck impressed in the heart of defence, limiting Haaland to the fewest touches (14) of any starter on either team.

    The Nerazzurri also offered a threat going forward, with their 10 first-half attempts making them the first Champions League visitors to reach double figures at the Etihad since Monaco in February 2017 (also 10). 

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    Serhou Guirassy added a late penalty for last season's finalists, who netted three times in the final quarter of an hour at Jan Breydelstadion.

    Brugge carried the greater attacking threat for most of the contest, going closest to scoring when Hugo Vetlesen rattled the crossbar, but they were made to pay for their profligacy.

    Gittens entered the action as a 68th-minute substitute and broke the deadlock eight minutes later—albeit in fortuitous circumstances—with his shot taking two deflections before nestling in the top-left corner.

    The 20-year-old doubled his and Dortmund's tally with four minutes remaining, cutting inside before firing past Simon Mignolet in the Brugge goal.

    Guirassy added further gloss to the scoreline from the penalty spot deep into stoppage time, slotting home from 12 yards after he was fouled by Brandon Mechele.

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    Keeping Brugge at bay, Dortmund became the first team in Champions League history to play a single opponent five times without conceding a goal.

    Gittens got the ball rolling at the other end. At 20 years and 41 days old, he is the second-youngest player to score two or more goals as a substitute in a Champions League game, older than only Monaco's David Trezeguet, who was just 34 days younger when he struck against K. Lierse SK in October 1997.

    Guirassy completed the victory from the spot, meaning Dortmund have now converted each of their last six Champions League penalties, last failing from 12 yards against Barcelona in September 2019 through Marco Reus.

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