Simply put, Martin Odegaard is one of the best football players in the world, and his man-of-the-match display against Chelsea provided more evidence of this. In addition to a plethora of other excellent passes, touches, and moves, he stood out on a fantastic night for the team, providing two magnificent assists for Kai Havertz and Benjamin White.
The possibility of Odegaard’s previous injury issues repeating, though, is a stark reality that may knock Mikel Arteta’s team out of the running. He has largely escaped injuries this season and has only missed three games due to a hip issue and concussion.
The Gunners dominated Sheffield United 5-0, with Emile Smith Rowe and Kai Havertz starting in midfield. While Odegaard’s absence was felt greatly in the 1-0 loss at Newcastle, Jorginho, Declan Rice, and Havertz were the starting trio. The same three also started the 3-1 victory over Burnley at home before the captain came back to start every league game after.
This season’s problem has been the attacking right-eight position’s lack of depth, which is primarily Fabio Vieira’s fault. Following a £34 million transfer from FC Porto, the Portuguese midfielder was signed as a competitive midfield alternative.
His time at the club has been marred by injuries, though; he arrived in the summer of 2022 with a foot issue that prevented him from integrating into the preseason. He has just made eleven league appearances this season, but he has already racked up 291 minutes.
He replaced Bukayo Saka during his brief appearance against Chelsea, and he left a lasting impact. He was lively and deft with the ball, coming close to scoring with a wonderful weak-footed shot that skidded past Chelsea’s left post.
It’s interesting that Arteta did not include him on the list of midfield players he wanted to mention following the match. Could it be that he views him as a potential forward option to take Saka’s place?
“As well when they play Declan, Kai, and Martin or play with Emile as well or Jorgi for sure, he has played some big games and we’ve won some big, big games with him as well, depends on the game and the state, the opponent as well,” he continued. “It’s great because everybody feels important as well, that’s something really, really important now.”
There has been a lot of discussion about Vieira, his prospects, and what he can eventually provide. He constantly makes threats to realize his potential, but problems always seem to arise at the most inconvenient moments.
With the most important season of his Arsenal career drawing near, he has a busy preseason ahead of him. Two years after his initial signing, he might be the ideal midfield addition.