Paul Scholes says Arsenal star is ‘big problem’ and ‘doesn’t play his position properly’

Paul Scholes has taken aim at Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, claiming the midfielder has become a ‘big problem’ for the club as he ‘isn’t playing his position properly’ this season.

Odegaard skippered Arsenal to an edgy 1-0 victory over Newcastle last weekend, a result that saw the Gunners reclaim top spot in the Premier League.

Mikel Arteta’s men had slipped to second after falling defeat at the Etihad, before Manchester City won away to Burnley to climb to the summit for the first time since the opening week of the campaign.

It leaves this year’s title race wide open, with Arsenal able to move six points clear should they prevail in their London derby with Fulham at the Emirates on Saturday evening.

Odegaard has proven an instrumental figure in Arsenal’s rise to prominence again under Arteta, twice named as the club’s Player of the Season since the Spaniard took charge in 2019.

Not helped by persistent injury problems, though, Odegaard’s contribution suffered a drastic dip last term. And it’s been a similarly frustrating season this time around for the Norwegian, who has managed just one goal and five assists in his 21 league matches.

Odegaard’s appearance in Arsenal’s defeat of Newcastle marked the first time the former Real Madrid man had completed back-to-back games for the Gunners since December.

It has led to mounting speculation that Odegaard could move on from north London in the summer – rumours he was quick to shut down ahead of tonight’s Champions League semi-final first leg versus Atletico Madrid.

But addressing Odegaard’s struggles on the latest episode of The Overlap Fan Debate, Manchester United legend Scholes argued that the midfielder had become an issue for Arsenal, not helped by his position on the pitch.

‘That game on Saturday [against Newcastle], I didn’t see all of it, I probably saw the first half an hour, but I think Odegaard is a big problem for them,’ Scholes explained.

‘I love Odegaard, I think he’s brilliant. Technically, he’s great, but he doesn’t play his position properly.

‘Half the time I saw him in the first 20 minutes he was almost the deepest man.

‘That football, it’s just bulls***.’

Scholes believes Bukayo Saka’s absence on the right flank will only have had a negative impact on Odegaard’s performance level given the partnership they had built up in recent seasons.

Asked if Odegaard playing too deep was down to the player himself or Arteta, Scholes replied: ‘Whether they’ve been told that or not, Odegaard is a No.10, Odegaard connects your midfield to your forward play.

‘You wonder why there’s no flow in your team when he’s behind Martin Zubimendi, he’s behind Declan Rice. How can you get connections there?

‘I also think that Saka not being there is a problem because I think Odegaard does connect well with Saka. Once he gets in those positions behind the midfield, Saka’s off and running.

‘I don’t think he [Odegaard] will have quite that connection with Viktor Gyokeres because he’s not that type of a player. Possibly with Kai Havertz he could have it.

‘So if I’m a central midfield player for Arsenal, “I don’t need you [Odegaard] here! You’re not needed in between the defence and midfield! You’ve got to be there [in the No.10 position] so I can progress the ball up the pitch to you, especially, because you’ve got great ability!”

‘It’s almost in a David Silva kind of way, how he connected Manchester City’s midfield to the attacking play. Stay there!’

Pressed on which player out of Odegaard or Eberechi Eze is best suited to the No.10 role at Arsenal, Scholes responded: ‘Look, I think either of them are suited to it.

‘I think Eze will produce more moments from the edge of the box scoring goals than Odegaard, but I think Odegaard will make you a better football team if he plays in the right position.’

Turning his attentions to one of Arsenal’s high-profile summer recruits, Martin Zubimendi, Scholes admitted he had been left a little underwhelmed, claiming the Spain international ‘doesn’t progress the game enough’.

‘The Premier League is tough. It’s a long season and he [Zubimendi] probably wouldn’t have experienced anything like this before in Spain,’ Scholes – an 11-time Premier League winner with Manchester United – continued.

‘He wouldn’t have been going for a title in Spain with Real Sociedad I suppose and when I’d seen him for Sociedad, you [Gary Neville] were saying, if I remember rightly, that he’s someone who progresses the ball up the pitch.

‘I never saw him as that. I didn’t see him loads but I never thought he was going to be a player to make your team play good football, and I think your central midfield player has to do that. I don’t think he progresses the game enough.’

According to Scholes, Manchester City have wrestled the momentum in their favour in this year’s title race are are ‘capable of winning every game’ from now until the end of the campaign.

‘City are handling it better with the big game last week, Arsenal limped over the line a little bit against Newcastle again,’ the ex-England international went on.

‘I just think there’s a flow to City. I know there’s not massive experience in the squad but they’ve got the manager who has got the experience which is a big thing.

‘Look, it’s going to be close, I don’t think there’s any doubting that, I just think City are capable of winning every game.’

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