At a Glance:
- Denmark beat North Macedonia 4-0 in a World Cup qualification play-off semi-final on Thursday.
- Christian Norgaard played 86 minutes for the Danes.
- Danish media were full of praise for the Arsenal midfielder, who was deployed out of position.
Arsenal midfielder Christian Norgaard scored and played 86 minutes as Denmark beat North Macedonia 4-0 on Thursday night to progress into a World Cup qualification play-off final.
Norgaard hasn’t played much football for the Gunners since signing from Brentford in the summer, but was instrumental in an unconventional role in Copenhagen for his nation. The 32-year-old netted the fourth goal in a rampant second-half performance from the Danes, heading home from a yard out following a Christian Eriksen corner.
This came after a goal from Mikkel Damsgaard, and a brace from Gustav Isaksen, set Brian Reimer’s side on their way. The result sets up a World Cup qualification showdown with Czechia in Prague on Tuesday.
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Danish media react to Christian Norgaard’s performance vs North Macedonia
Viktor Gyokeres scored a hat-trick for Sweden in a World Cup play-off match on Thursday, and Norgaard joined his Scandinavian Arsenal teammate in producing an assured display for his nation in a crucial clash.
The ex-Brentford man, deployed as a centre-back alongside Hellas Verona’s Victor Nelsson, was excellent out of position for Reimer’s outfit. Having not even amassed 1,000 minutes of club football this season, it would’ve been understandable if Norgaard had shown some signs of rust.
However, he certainly didn’t look like he needed to shake off the cobwebs, delivering an accomplished all-round showing that prompted Danish media to laud him.
| Christian Norgaard’s statistics vs North Macedonia | |
| Minutes Played | 86 |
| Touches | 90 |
| Passes into Final Third | 9 |
| Shots | 1 |
| Accurate Passes | 68/78 (87%) |
| Tackles | 2 |
| Defensive Contributions | 7 |
Tipsbladet gave Norgaard a five-star review in their player ratings, writing: “The 31-year-old stopper, who was newly invented this season, was unerringly confident in reading the game.
“The Arsenal player also had some good passes in Denmark’s power play periods. He scored his second international goal in the second half.”
Meanwhile, B.T gave Norgaard a 4/5, revealing that Reimer had called Mikel Arteta to consult the Spaniard about using the player as a central defender.
“We have heard a lot about the national coach’s trip to London, where he called Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta for major political consultations about the newly invented role for Nørgaard as a central defender,” the publication wrote.
“And now we understand the thinking. It started a bit shaky, but Nørgaard impressively found the rhythm. And that goal… Yes, you take that one with Eriksen!”
Can Christian Norgaard be used as a centre-back moving forward?
While Arteta has always been upbeat when speaking about Norgaard publicly, ultimately, actions speak louder than words. The Arsenal boss hasn’t trusted the £13 million signing to take minutes off a fatigued Martin Zubimendi in the middle of the park.
That said, the tactician has opted to use Norgaard as a centre-back on a handful of occasions. Against Club Brugge in the Champions League, and Portsmouth in the FA Cup, the ageing midfielder was deployed at the heart of Arsenal’s back four.
He performed admirably in both games, and this could certainly be his position moving forward as his physical attributes start to decline.
Asked by Tipsbladet whether he envisages this as a long-term role for Norgaard, the Arsenal midfielder’s centre-back partner on the night, Nelsson exclaimed, ‘Why not?’
“We have played on the team for a long time,” he said.
“This is the first game we play where we both play next to each other, but we know each other well. Very reliable player, good at talking to me all the time.
“Why not? He has a good head and some leadership qualities that can be used down the back line.”
