Martin Odegaard says Arsenal don’t care what Manchester City do in the title race, they’re only focusing on their own matches.

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LONDON, ENGLAND: Martin Odegaard of Arsenal celebrates after the team’s victory during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on January 15, 2023. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

At the time of writing, Arsenal are five points clear at the top of the Premier League ahead of Manchester City, with a game in hand on the team below them.

City had some poor results around the turn of the year, drawing with Everton and losing to Manchester United, but they’ve bounced back with wins over Tottenham Hotspur and Wolves.

The Arsenal fans have understandably started to pay close attention to every City result, hoping for more dropped points to extend their side’s advantage.

But Martin Odegaard says the players aren’t looking at it the same way, just focusing on winning their own fixtures and seeing where the team ends up.

“No, honestly, we don’t care about City or any other team,” Odegaard said. “We expected them to win so that was not a big surprise and we just focused on our game, to come here and win and that’s what we did.

“The way we won this game gives us a special feeling that will help as well.

“It’s a long season. We’re just halfway through, there are many games to be played so we have to stay calm and humble. Our only focus is the next game and that’s all that matters. We have to stay focused like this.

“It’s way too far ahead to think about [the Premier League title] now.

“We have to stay in the moment, everyone should enjoy the moment. We’re doing really well but we have to stay calm, it’s a long way to go and we have to keep working and improving. Then we’ll see.”

Martin Odegaard points to Arsenal Norway during the Emirates Stadium artwork unveiling (Photo via Arsenal.com)
Martin Odegaard points to Arsenal Norway during the Emirates Stadium artwork unveiling (Photo via Arsenal.com)

If Arsenal keep up their current form, they only need to worry about Manchester City when the two teams face each other.

City can’t catch up just by winning their games, they can only gain on the Gunners if the league leaders drop points.

So the best strategy is indeed to stay focused on winning each game. Then, if and when City fail to win a match, Arsenal will be ready to take advantage.