Merson blames Odegaard for Arsenal title bungle as Champions League challenge dismissed
Paul Merson claims Martin Odegaard has been “nowhere near” the heights he hit for Arsenal last season and laughed off their chances of winning the Champions League.
The Gunners couldn’t find a way past Nottingham Forest on Wednesday and the goalless draw means they’re now a whopping 13 points behind league-leaders Liverpool, who beat Newcastle 2-0 at Anfield.
Arteta’s side will now surely fail once again to win the Premier League title having finished second to Manchester City in the previous two campaigns.
Mikel Merino was used as the de facto No.9 again as Mikel Arteta struggles to find a solution to an injury crisis which has ruled Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka out of action.
Havertz was often criticised for his profligacy before his injury this season, but Merson is a “big fan” and believes the feedback was harsh.
He told Capital Football: “I’ve always thought he was massive for the team, he’s scored 15 goals this season! His misses? Everybody misses…if everybody put their chances away some others get 70 goals a season. It just doesn’t work like that.
“For me you’ve got to get in the position to score the goals. I’ve seen players playing games and they never looked like scoring in a month of Sundays!
“And they make sure they’re not gonna miss because they’re not getting in the position to score. For me, I’m a big fan of Havertz and he’ll be missed because he can play in midfield.”
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The majority of pundits and fans have blamed Arsenal’s poor recent form on their lack of a central striker, with them failing to sign a new forward in January particularly damning, but Merson has pointed the finger of blame at Odegaard.
The captain was ruled out for a big chunk of the season himself but has managed just two goals and three assists in 19 Premier League games this term having racked up 23 goals and 17 assists across the previous two campaigns.
“I don’t think Odegaard has hit the heights of what he did last year, nowhere near!” Merson told Capital Football. “I think if he can step it up and if he starts playing well and as well as he can play then I think whoever plays as a front three will have more of a chance.”
With Liverpool pulling away in the Premier League and Arsenal out of both domestic cup competitions, the Champions League now looks like the only viable route to silverware this season.
The Gunners face PSV Eindhoven in the last 16, which looks to be a perfectly winnable tie, even given their rotten record under Arteta in the European knockouts, but victory over the Eredivisie side would set up a quarter-final against either Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid, with Liverpool also on their side of the draw.
READ MORE: Ranking Champions League favourites after last-16 draw: Aston Villa above Arsenal
And Merson insists his former side have “no chance” of going all the way having been smashed by Newcastle across two legs in the Carabao Cup.
“Who Arsenal? No chance. They got beaten by Newcastle in the Carabao Cup over two legs four to nil ! And there are better teams than Newcastle in the Champions League Arsenal have got no chance of winning the Champions League.
“Arsenal didn’t take it seriously? I’d like to think you go all the way to the semi-final over a two-legged game you wanna get to Wembley.”
