Arteta explains why he kept Odegaard on despite having a 6-goal cushion, showing his commitment to player development.

Mikel Arteta has revealed why he decided against substituting Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard in their 6-0 Champions League victory over RC Lens. Despite only recently returning from a hip injury, the Norway international played the full 90 minutes in the win.

When questioned in the post-match press conference about why he didn't give Odegaard a rest, Arteta explained: "We have five subs and we are very short in certain areas. In the end we had to prioritise who to rest and he hasn't accumulated that many minutes in the last six or seven weeks. So we asked him how he was and he said he was fine. He managed himself a bit in the second half and he was fine."

Odegaard marked his full game with a goal, making it seven goal involvements across 17 appearances in all competitions this term. Meanwhile, Chris Sutton commented on Arteta's team selection, saying: "Mikel Arteta showed his intent with his team selection tonight and carrying on the momentum. They are building something here, it's very impressive."

This Saturday, Arsenal host Wolves in the Premier League, looking to stay at the top of the table. Odegaard may get some rest then, as Arteta looks to keep his team fresh and maintain the momentum.

[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]