Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard has stated that the club’s recent history of narrowly missing out on the Premier League trophy is serving as a powerful motivator for the current squad.
Speaking after a disappointing 3-2 home loss to Manchester United, the Norwegian playmaker acknowledged the lingering sting of finishing second in three consecutive seasons. He framed it not as a burden, but as a source of added determination for the team’s ongoing championship challenge.
“Those experiences are definitely a factor,” Ødegaard remarked. “But it can be a positive one. It builds a greater hunger and a stronger will to finally achieve our goal. We know from those campaigns that the season is a marathon, not a sprint. The key is to stay united, focus on the immediate task, and respond positively.”
The defeat at the Emirates Stadium marked Arsenal’s first home loss of the league campaign and saw their lead at the summit of the table reduced. While the setback has heightened concern among supporters, Ødegaard emphasized the importance of the squad maintaining its internal focus and blocking out external pressure.
“My focus was entirely on the match,” he said regarding the atmosphere during the game. “We have to live in the present. We can’t be distracted by the noise or the expectations. Our performance wasn’t at the required level, and we must learn from that.”
Analyzing the match itself, the captain pointed to a shift in momentum after taking an early lead. He identified a need to better control the game’s tempo and avoid playing into the hands of opponents adept on the counter-attack.
“It was a frustrating result,” Ødegaard admitted. “We started well and created good opportunities, but we allowed them too many transitions. In the second half, they gained the upper hand in individual battles and that allowed them to build pressure. It’s an area we clearly need to address.”
With attention now turning to upcoming fixtures, the message from the Arsenal camp is clear: the pain of past near-misses is being channeled into a relentless drive to finish the job this time around.