Before every game at the Emirates Stadium, Martin Odegaard lifts the lid on the mood in the camp through his captain’s notes broadcast on the matchday programme.
Ahead of today’s game against Everton, Martin talks about our recent fixtures on the road, the youngsters getting their chance, and gives an indication of when he hopes to be back in action. Here is a snippet:
A lot has happened since our last game here at home, and since then we are still in a very good position in all competitions.
We want to build momentum at this stage of the season, and playing against Chelsea is never easy, so the win was what mattered on the day. It was definitely a big win for us, and another example of how tough this league is, and how tight the margin is in every game. Finding a way to win these games is absolutely key, and we did that again, so we’ll definitely take it. We know there are things we can improve and work on, but winning is always good.
Then we traveled to Brighton for another game, and I watched it on TV at home. It’s never been better to watch from the sofa, so I can definitely relate to all the supporters watching at home! I would rather be out there, with the feeling that you are more in control and can influence it.
It wasn’t our best performance, and there were a lot of things we could have done better, but any time you find a way to win in the Premier League it’s a good result. You see that in every game, not just for us, and it was that night. The win at Brighton felt great for us, especially with the other results that went our way that night.
I thought Mansfield made it difficult for us last weekend, but there was another situation there. The pitch, the stadium, the atmosphere – everything is different. They clearly went into the game with everything to achieve, and a lot of hunger and determination. They were willing to do anything to win, so we have to match that spirit. This is probably the game of the season for them, a proper cup game, so we did well to find a way to win again. It was a big goal from Ebbs to get this win and move on to the next round.
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I was really excited for Jaden Dixon to make his debut as well, another young player coming up to get his chance as we’ve seen a lot already this season. It shows what we are as a club, and the manager believes in the young players here, and that’s always good to see. It gives everyone a lift – all of us in the first team too – when we see young players coming to get playing time, because it means a lot to everyone and it’s always a special moment when someone can start for Arsenal.
After a few away games recently, it’s great to be back at home in front of our own supporters again this afternoon. I’m excited to get back into the game as soon as possible. It has been difficult for me recently with the knee injury, but I am now working as hard as I can to get back to full fitness. The main thing is to be 100% again, and make sure that I can properly help the team.
It’s obviously another big game for us this afternoon against Everton, and the team is really focused. Everton are a really strong team, a really physical team who are good in all areas of the game. It’s always a big test against them, so we need to really take the first set today, go out there and enjoy it, and fight for the win.
Homecoming is something we all look forward to now, and everyone plays their part to keep the momentum going. We don’t play another league game for a couple of weeks after that, so this game will be very important during this period, making sure we put ourselves in a strong position.
Read the rest of Martin’s notes, as well as a host of other interesting content, by buying the Arsenal v Everton program or around the stadium or Online.
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