Martin Ødegaard made his return from injury as a substitute in Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan, but Sky Sports’ Paul Merson insists he must start against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
In his latest column, Paul Merson reflects on Arsenal’s Champions League defeat to Inter Milan and previews their upcoming clash against Chelsea.
After the win of Liverpool yesterday against Aston Villa in a big game, i think Martin Odegaard must start, the game against Chelsea will be a must win.
Unless he’s not going away with Norway, I think he has to be thrown in. Arsenal played well against Inter Milan, who are a solid side, but what was lacking was that bit of craft and ingenuity.
Arsenal dominated the game and really should have come away with at least a draw. They’ve earned respect across Europe, and now teams will sit back against them. That’s where someone like Ødegaard is crucial—he’s the one who can thread those passes and unlock defenses.
he two refereeing decision were both poor. Mikel Merino was not even a yard away and he can’t defend that with his arms behind his back because he would fall over!
At the other end, Yann Sommer pulls off a stunning save. It’s as clear-cut as it gets. It’s remarkable how one incident is given as a penalty and the other isn’t.
If it happens anywhere else on the pitch, you’d be awarded a free-kick. If you go up to head the ball and a defender heads your head, it’s a free-kick. It’s a stonewall penalty.
With VAR in place, I just don’t see how it wasn’t given. It’s concerning at the highest level. You have people in charge of these decisions, and looking at that, it’s clear they have no idea what they’re doing.
