I cannot defend him”, “Mastered the art of looking busy while doing nothing

Fans reacted to midfielder Martin Odegaard’s performance in Arsenal’s 1-0 home defeat to PSG in the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg on Tuesday (April 29).

The Parisians made a brisk start at the Emirates, with Ousmane Dembele breaking the deadlock inside four minutes. That turned out to be the lone goal of the game, with Luis Enrique’s side squandering two late chances that could have put the tie to bed.

Odegaard, who started on the right side of midfield, failed to lead his team from the front. The Norwegian laid out only one key pass in 89 minutes and three crosses and won two of eight ground duels (stats as per Sofascore), eventually getting replaced by Ethan Nwaneri, disappointing fans.

“I cannot defend Odegaard. This is our captain not a teenager from the academy,” one tweeted.

“Martin Odegaard is a disgrace of a captain,” chimed in another.

There were similar comments from other fans, with one tweeting:

“Odegaard has mastered the art of looking busy while doing nothing.”

Another commented:

“Odegaard lol absolute joke of a captain”

“Genuine question. What does Odegaard even do? Looks good on the ball but 0 impact on big games,” one tweeted.

The return leg at the Parc des Princes is on Wednesday (May 7).

“PSG could have won by two or three” – Wayne Rooney on Arsenal’s defeat

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney reckons the Gunners are fortuitous to not lose by more than one goal, as PSG squandered a few chances that could have given them a healthier cushion ahead of the second leg at home.

Following their historic win over holders Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, the Gunners – second in the Premier League – were second-best for large swathes against the runaway Ligue 1 leaders.

“PSG could have won the game by two or three.” Rooney told Amazon Prime (as per the BBC). “I was a bit disappointed with how Arsenal played and the fans too. It was subdued. It was like they beat Real Madrid and would walk into the final.”

Before the second leg at the Parc des Princes next week, Arsenal return to Premier League action this weekend, hosting Bournemouth on Saturday (May 3). Meanwhile, Luis Enrique’s side travel to Strasbourg in Ligue 1 on the same day, needing a win to wrap up the title with six games to spare.

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Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 18 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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