Arsenal: 4 talking points from Brentford horror show

3. Martin Odegaard Needs Signing, and Quick

It has been one of Arsenal’s main problems since Arteta took over. Once a superb strength has now become its biggest weakness. Simply put, if Emile Smith Rowe does not have a great game creatively, then Arsenal struggle. Big time.

In midfield the ceiling is ‘will Xhaka have a good game or not’, while in a creative sense it’s ‘Smith Rowe has to make something happen’. These are the parameters with which this side now operate in.

Having a player like Martin Odegaard or James Maddison alongside him would help to no end and the fact that a player hasn’t been signed to help with this yet is laughable.

With a front four that included three ‘finishers’ and one ‘creator’ in Smith Rowe, it’s little surprise that the mantle of creativity rested solely on the shoulders of the new No. 10. Bringing in a body to help share these demands is not only for rotational, it’s for the starting lineup.

With two weeks to go in the transfer window, someone has to come in to lighten the load. It is too much to expect Smith Rowe to solve all of Arsenal’s creative problems. A team the size of Arsenal knows that it can’t all fall onto one player, let alone a 20-year-old with what is essentially six months of Premier League experience.

Just another example of Arsenal’s horror transfer dealings. It does appear as if Odegaard is that man, which is great, now just get the deal done already.