March 31st 2024.
In a post-match interview, Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard opened up about the team's defensive strategy against Manchester City. While the Gunners managed to secure a goalless draw at the Etihad Stadium, Odegaard admitted that they had not planned to sit so deep in their own half.
Despite City's impressive home record of scoring in 76 consecutive Premier League games, Arsenal's defense held strong and denied them any goals. However, their own attacking opportunities were limited as City dominated possession and kept them on the back foot.
As a result of the draw, Liverpool now sits two points ahead of Arsenal at the top of the table, with City three points behind. When asked if they could have been more adventurous against City, Odegaard agreed that it was a missed opportunity.
"We feel like we could've done a bit better with the ball and kept possession," Odegaard told Premier League Productions. "Especially when you win it back, it's important to take that first pressure off and gain control of the game. But when you're constantly defending, it's difficult to maintain that level of energy."
The Norwegian midfielder acknowledged that they had defended deeper than they had planned, which made it even more challenging to launch counter-attacks. "When you're constantly running and defending, it's exhausting. So it was really hard for us to maintain our attacking threat," he explained.
Despite the tough defensive display, Odegaard expressed some disappointment in not being able to secure a win against City. "We wanted to win, and we feel like we could've done better in certain areas," he said. "It's a mixed feeling, as it's a tough place to come and get a result. But we know we could've done better."
Looking ahead, Odegaard believes that there are lessons to be learned from this match and areas for improvement in their future games. "It's a step we can take in the future," he said. "We'll keep working hard and hopefully, we can come back stronger in our next matches."
Despite the draw, there were many positives for Arsenal to take away from the game, including their strong defensive display and the fact that they denied City a home goal. As they continue to fine-tune their strategies and gameplay, the Gunners will be looking to secure more wins and climb up the Premier League table.
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