Before each sport at Emirates Stadium, Martin Odegaard lifts the lid on the temper within the camp by way of his captain’s notes printed within the matchday programme.
Ahead of our Champions League quarter-final second leg in opposition to Sporting CP, Martin chats about bouncing again after the Bournemouth defeat, the chance forward of us after final week’s win in Portugal, and David Raya’s influence on our squad on and off the pitch. Here is a snippet:
We have put ourselves in an amazing place on this tie after our win in Portugal final week, and we all know precisely what we have to do tonight.
Of course, Saturday’s outcome right here in opposition to Bournemouth was massively disappointing for everybody, so it’s good that this sport has come round so rapidly to offer us the chance to reply. In soccer you rapidly get the possibility to place issues proper, and now we wish to do it.
You should undergo troublesome moments in each season, so the essential factor is to make use of that ache in a optimistic approach to transfer on to the subsequent one. That’s what we wish to do tonight again within the Champions League – there may be clearly nonetheless loads to play for. We have labored so onerous all season and we’re decided to take advantage of this place we’re in. We have the chance to make historical past by reaching back-to-back Champions League semi-finals for the primary time in our historical past, so let’s make it occur.
We acquired a superb win in Lisbon final week. It’s all the time robust to play away in Europe, and Sporting are very robust at house as properly. In the knockout rounds, if you play house and away, it’s key to get a superb outcome within the first sport, and so for us to return again right here with a win from that sport was good and precisely what we wished.
It was a powerful efficiency from us over there, and I assumed we defended very well. We may have created a bit extra going ahead, however we acquired the purpose ultimately and the outcome we wished. It was a superb move from Gabi to set it up, and Kai took the possibility very well too. It was a good time to attain. Now it’s time for us to be prepared again right here at Emirates Stadium to complete the job.
David Raya made some nice saves that night time, and he’s undoubtedly up there with the easiest on the planet for me. He’s been so constant for a very long time now; final season and this he’s been unbelievable. He’s so essential for us and it’s nice to have a personality like him on the again for us as properly.
He’s a frontrunner within the dressing room for certain. He’s a man who talks loads and takes a variety of accountability for the group. He helps me out loads by way of being a giant a part of the management group. He’s an amazing character to have round.
Everyone can see his high quality on the pitch but additionally off the pitch, he brings loads to the group and to the group. He’s actually grown in that position and stature since he arrived right here, so huge credit score to him for that. When you take a look at our group, there are a variety of completely different leaders, and David is somebody who does a variety of work behind the scenes. He talks loads and he actually cares about individuals and getting one of the best out of everybody.
Maybe supporters wouldn’t realise that as a lot if you see him play as a result of he’s all the time behind the pitch, however he’s a extremely massive a part of the group and a extremely robust chief.
I needed to go off throughout the second half of that sport in Portugal final week, feeling my knee, which is why I missed the sport on the weekend. I caught it a bit of bit in opposition to Sporting, however hopefully it shouldn’t be too dangerous. I’m determined to get again as quickly as attainable as a result of that is the essential interval of the season, within the Premier League and Champions League.
Read the remainder of Martin’s notes, in addition to a bunch of different improbable content material, by shopping for the Arsenal v Sporting CP programme both across the stadium or online.
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