“We let them run too easily” Odegaard admits Arsenal played badly against West Ham

Just Arsenal News

·22 février 2025

“We let them run too easily” Odegaard admits Arsenal played badly against West Ham

Martin Odegaard has admitted that Arsenal were simply not good enough in their 1-0 defeat to West Ham in the Premier League this afternoon. The Gunners struggled to break down a well-organised West Ham side, who executed their game plan effectively to frustrate Mikel Arteta’s team.

Just a week ago, Arsenal were celebrating a dramatic late win against Leicester City, courtesy of two late goals from Mikel Merino. However, the Spaniard was in the starting lineup today but was unable to make the same impact against a stronger opponent.

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Arsenal’s lack of an out-and-out striker has been a talking point throughout the season, and their attacking struggles were evident once again against the Hammers. Despite dominating possession, they failed to make the most of their opportunities in front of goal.

(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Speaking after the match, Odegaard acknowledged that the team’s performance was below the required standard. In an interview with Premier League Productions, he expressed his disappointment at the result and admitted they must improve.

“Performance today wasn’t good enough, and yeah, really disappointed. We let them run too easily on the counter, we weren’t sharp enough on the counter or our final third efficiency. We are missing players, but we have to focus on the players that are available, and we have more than enough quality to do more than what we did today.

“It wasn’t good enough in front of the goal. With the red card, it’s tough, but we tried until the end. I haven’t seen [the red card], I don’t know. We have to keep going, it’s still a long way to go, we can’t feel sorry for ourselves.”

Arsenal’s ambitions of winning the Premier League depends on their ability to produce consistent performances and defeats like this make their title challenge even more difficult. If they are serious about lifting silverware this season, their key players must step up and deliver better performances in crucial moments. The Gunners cannot afford to let opportunities slip away if they want to compete for major honours.

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