Ex-Aston Villa star Gabriel Agbonlahor has hit out at Arsenal’s pre-game tifo and Martin Odegaard following the Gunners’ latest loss against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Earlier this Tuesday (April 29), Mikel Arteta’s side produced a huge tifo of a cannon ahead of their 1-0 UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg loss to PSG. Ousmane Dembele scored in the fourth minute of the match from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s low cross.
During a post-game interaction on talkSPORT, Agbonlahor was asked to share his thoughts on the Arsenal supporters at Emirates. He replied (h/t Metro):
“It was embarrassing, they were quiet. Come on, it was a semi-final of the Champions League. Look at what Liverpool have done at Anfield in semi-finals, Aston Villa against PSG. Do they need a man with a speaking behind the goal saying, ‘Sing, sing’? It is embarrassing for the fanbase that they need Odegaard every second, [David] Raya was doing it, the manager was doing it.”
Singling out Odegaard for criticism, the ex-Aston Villa forward said:
“But what I would say is maybe if Odegaard put in a performance to lift the fans a little bit because he’s always a cheerleader, he’s always going like this, waving his arms. If you’re an Arsenal fan, you’re like, ‘No offence, Martin, but maybe you can do something to lift us because you’re not having the greatest of games, greatest of seasons’.”
Agbonlahor, who scored 73 goals in 322 Premier League games, added:
“I just felt the tifo was embarrassing, the atmosphere was embarrassing, for a semi-final the club should have done a lot more. It’s incredible, how can you just not create an atmosphere for your players? I’ve seen Odegaard, I saw Raya, I saw [Gabriel] Martinelli a few times as well, [Mikel] Arteta, it’s like they were begging, ‘Please, can you sing? Give us something, help’.”
How well did Arsenal perform against PSG?
Arsenal, who beat Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final stage, struggled to shine against PSG. They missed three big chances, relishing 48% possession.
PSG, on the other hand, enjoyed 52% possession and registered 11 shots. The Parisians completed 374 passes with 86% accuracy, while the hosts completed 326 passes with 84% accuracy.
Arsenal, who forced Gianluigi Donnarumma to register five saves earlier this Tuesday, will next lock horns with PSG at Parc des Princes on May 7.
Mikel Arteta’s side will next be in action in the Premier League in a home encounter against 10th-placed Bournemouth this Saturday (May 3).
alt=”Debkalpa Banerjee” height=”72″ width=”72″>
Edited by Debkalpa Banerjee
