Martin Odegaard racked up another assist for Norway on Sunday, but his team’s poor form continued with another defeat.
After Norway’s international break started so well, with a 3-2 win over Denmark, things have really gone downhill over the remainder of the fortnight.
The downturn began with a 2-1 defeat to Portugal on September 27th, which was followed by another 2-1 loss to Wales last Thursday.
The hope was that Norway would be able to get some revenge for their first defeat to Portugal by beating them at their home ground on Sunday, but they suffered yet another 2-1 defeat instead. The team now sit bottom of their Nations League group and under threat of relegation.
Yet if there’s one player who has continued to perform at his level, it’s Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard. The 27-year-old has four assists in four games over the break, setting up two-thirds of his country’s six goals.
There were fears that Odegaard’s fitness could be at risk after he was recklessly fouled by Bernardo Silva in the first game against Portugal, but he’s completed two full 90-minute matches and provided two more assists since then.
The latest assist wasn’t Odegaard’s finest, putting in a simple cross from a free-kick that was expertly fired home from distance by Kristoffer Ajer. But it remains the case that almost everything positive about Norway’s national team is coming through the Arsenal man right now.
The primary concern from a Gunners perspective is that Odegaard’s four full matches over the break don’t leave him in a great spot to come back and play every game for Arsenal too.
Arsenal had been very careful with Odegaard in the early stages of the season, only making him complete one match out of the eight they’ve played. Which probably makes it a little frustrating that Norway didn’t sub him off once.
Mikel Arteta will probably be forced to rest his captain at points over the next few weeks. But at least when Odegaard is available, he’s in good form.
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