Sagna slams ‘crazy’ critics of Arsenal star after 95 ‘amazing’ performances for the Gunners

Former Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna insists it’s “crazy to be critical” of Martin Odegaard after 95 “amazing” performances in a Gunners shirt.

The Norway international has been brilliant for Arsenal since arriving on an initial loan in January 2021 before making his move from Real Madrid permanent in the summer for around €40m.

Odegaard has contributed 26 goals and 14 assists in 96 Premier League appearances with the 24-year-old one of the main reasons why Arsenal challenged Manchester City for the title last campaign.

He hasn’t quite hit the same heights as last season yet with three goals and one assist in nine league matches – but former Arsenal defender Sagna insists he doesn’t deserve any criticism.

Sagna told Genting Casino: “This is the problem with football. Players will always be criticised and people will always have opinions [on players].

“It’s human nature to question why a player that has performed so brilliantly isn’t doing so well at any given moment, but if you looked at Odegaard’s last 100 games for Arsenal, you could say that in 95 of them he has been amazing.

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“It is possible for a player to have a few bad games. At the moment, Odegaard isn’t playing his best football, but that is normal.

“Look at what he has done throughout his time wearing the shirt. It’s crazy to be critical of Odegaard without considering his body of work when playing for Arsenal.”

Odegaard was rested for the 5-0 win over Sheffield United at the weekend and Sagna is backing the Arsenal captain to have “a huge impact” during the rest of the season.

“He had a little rest against Sheffield United and the team won. Perhaps he isn’t at 100% in terms of his fitness. I don’t think it’s fair to be critical of Martin Odegaard this season,” Sagna added.

“Odegaard will have a huge impact on Arsenal this season. I was pleased to see him sign a new contract with the club and commit himself to the club for a long time. He loves the club and has been a wonderful player since he joined.”

Delivering an update on Odegaard ahead of the Gunners’ Carabao Cup fourth round fixture against West Ham, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said: “We rested him the other day, so it’s how long we rest him for and how we manage the minutes and the rhythm that he needs to be at his best. We had the opportunity to [rest him] and we didn’t use him in the end.

“It’s impossible to play with no niggles in football, and at this level, when you have games every three days, it’s impossible. If you try to do that, you better stay in bed, because I don’t know any players who are constantly perfect and in the best possible condition, so you have to adapt to that.

“Every player is the same, they are willing to push the boundaries. We have players who have been out for six weeks and they were back in either three-and-a-half or four weeks for big matches and made an incredible impact. When you talk about changes in mentality, this is a big thing. Not only him, but all the physios and doctors, and your teammates pushing you to demand you to be there, because you are needed. That’s what we need.”