Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard will have his right shoulder scanned after being forced off in the first half against Leeds United. Presumably that scan has happened, although the results haven’t been revealed. Initial reports suggested the injury was not as significant as feared immediately after the match and that Ødegaard has not been definitively ruled out for the Liverpool match this coming weekend. The club did postpone an autograph appearance by the skipper at the team store set for today,
which given the circumstances, is not surprising.
Ødegaard sustained the injury after falling awkwardly after being pulled down from behind by Anton Stach. The foul, which would have been flagged as an illegal horse-collar tackle in the NFL, did not earn a yellow card even though it probably should have. The captain attempted to remain on the pitch after the foul and played for several more minutes but couldn’t make it to halftime.
As an aside, I’ve wanted not-football challenges to be cautioned more frequently for a while. There is always going to be some amount of jostling and grappling, but if you pull a guy down from behind or grab him up high to prevent him from breaking away, I think it should be an automatic yellow. Basically if you challenge / foul someone in a way that could not possibly have legally won the ball, I’d like for it to be a yellow card.
Fortunately, Arsenal have just the Liverpool match before the international break. “Just” is doing a lot of work there, I know. Ødegaard missing that match in particular would stink, but the scheduled time off might mean he doesn’t miss any other games. If he can’t go on Sunday (which again, isn’t definitive), Eberechi Eze might be forced immediately into the lineup and limelight. Nothing major, Ebere. You’re just going to make your club debut replacing the captain at Anfield.
Arsenal wouldn’t lose anything in terms of attacking quality with their new signing, but there is always an adjustment period. Eze certainly won’t be as comfortable with all the pressing triggers and what he’s supposed to do when Arsenal don’t have the ball nor will he be the on-field organizer that Ødegaard is. The Norwegian’s defensive workrate and role as a press and tempo setter is underappreciated and often unnoticed (by some).
The other option in that spot is Ethan Nwaneri, who deputized admirably in the middle against Leeds United at the Emirates. That’s a significantly easier ask than away to Liverpool, though. If it comes down to it, I’d bet Mikel Arteta opts for the thoroughly Premier League tested, experienced 27-year-old over the 18-year-old in one of the most difficult fixtures of the season.
