Arsenal may have been beaten by Manchester City in a vital Premier League showdown on Sunday afternoon, but Mikel Arteta has a huge positive to take from the clash.
The Citizens triumphed at the Etihad courtesy of a stunning strike from Rayan Cherki and a smart finish from Erling Haaland, with these goals cancelling out Kai Havertz’s bizarre equaliser. This outcome in Manchester has significantly damaged the Gunners’ chances of lifting the piece of silverware that has eluded them for over 20 years, come the end of the season, as City moved to within three points of Arteta’s side.
However, there is reason for optimism in N5, with Martin Odegaard’s positive return to the team potentially a turning point in the run-in for Arsenal.
Martin Odegaard shows his importance to Arsenal vs City
Without Odegaard, Eberechi Eze has had to step up as the creative hub in Arsenal’s team. The England international has done an admirable job, but his primary skillset is carrying the ball past players to get his own shot off, rather than dictating build-up and creating shots for his teammates.
The Gunners have therefore lacked ball progression and chance creation without their skipper. They’ve not been able to sustain waves of attack throughout games, and have struggled to dominate possession and territory.
Against City, while Arsenal didn’t dominate possession, they did look significantly more threatening as an attacking team than they have in recent months. They ended the encounter with more expected goals than the home side, engineering a number of dangerous moments against one of the best teams in the league.
Doesn't mean loads the morning after but that was a performance that showed the importance of Martin Odegaard.
— Sam Blitz (@SamBIitz) April 20, 2026
Arsenal's press – led by him – looked so different. Must start the remaining five matches.
Mad how him, Saka and Havertz haven't started together since Dec. 2024. #afc pic.twitter.com/mlmTFQJre8
This was, in large part, thanks to Odegaard’s contributions. As shown by the data above, the Norwegian playmaker was at the heart of all of Arsenal’s attacking play.
Completing more passes than any other Gunners player, as well as creating more chances and playing more passes into the final third, this was an impressive return display from Odegaard. If they are to sustain this from now until the end of the season, they’re going to need their captain, who has clearly shown that he remains the most important cog in Arsenal’s attack.
Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze can form a dynamic partnership
Highlighting Odegaard’s importance isn’t an attempt to downplay Eze’s contributions. In fact, the two have to continue to be used in tandem between now and the end of the season.
While Eze leaves a lot to be desired on the defensive side of the game when he’s deployed off the left, goal difference could be a factor in determining who wins the title, and thus, Arsenal need to prioritise the offensive side of the game from this point forward.
— Billy Carpenter (@billycarpy) April 19, 2026
Eze should be able to thrive in this inside forward role off the left. With Piero Hincapie driving on the outside of him, the former Crystal Palace man can take up spaces in the left channel, ostensibly playing as a left-ten while Odegaard takes up similar positions on the right.
Leandro Trossard has been used in this role throughout the season to mixed effect. Eze has the potential to be much more threatening here, and this could substantially elevate the level of Arsenal’s attack.
