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During the EFL Cup final defeat to Manchester City, Arsenal fielded a lineup that lacked creativity. Kai Havertz played in the attacking midfield role before being replaced after 67 minutes as the Gunners went on to lose 2-0.
Arsenal's hopes of then at least doing the treble were soon dashed as they lost to Southampton in the FA Cup. The Gunners have one foot in the Champions League semi-finals after defeating Sporting CP 1-0 in the first leg of their tie.
The Premier League is Arsenal's best hope of winning silverware this season as they have a nine-point lead over City. However, City do still have a game in hand and play Arsenal on April 19. The Gunners could all but secure the title if they defeat City in that game. However, they will need their best players fully fit for it.
Who could be Arsenal's hero against Manchester City?
Arsenal clearly need more creativity if they are to defeat City, which they lacked in the cup final. Martin Odegaard missed that game due to a knee problem. He came on as a substitute in the defeat to Southampton and then started against Sporting in the Champions League.
Unfortunately, against the Portuguese side, Odegaard limped off for Havertz after 70 minutes. Havertz did go on to score the winner in added time, but it will be a miss for Arsenal if Odegaard is to miss more games. He could face a race to be fit for the game with City in 10 days.
Odegaard's season has been disrupted by injury, which has meant that he has made just 20 Premier League appearances, scoring once and making six assists. However, he is still the Arsenal captain and their most creative option in central midfield.
Arsenal will need Odegaard's leadership and creativity if they are to get over the line in the Premier League this season. Too many times have Arsenal been labelled as 'bottlers' after seeing their lead in title races slip after being in promising positions.
Despite being with Arsenal since 2021, the only trophy he has lifted with the club is the Community Shield. That trophy is not even considered a proper piece of silverware by many supporters. Arsenal is the club where Odegaard has settled after he burst onto the scene at an early age.
Odegaard signed for Real Madrid when he was just 16 after he played for the Norwegian side, Strømsgodset. However, he only made 11 first-team appearances for Los Blancos and was sent on loan to Heerenveen, Vitesse, Real Sociedad, and Arsenal before he joined the Gunners permanently.