Arsenal talisman and skipper Martin Odegaard has revealed that he believes his side are even better than last season, thanks mainly to their ability to adapt to different situations and ask sides more questions than they could in the 2022-23 campaign.
The Gunners spent much of the campaign on top of the Premier League last time out, only for a late collapse (including two defeats to Manchester City) handing Pep Guardiola’s side the title and leaving Arsenal to lick their wounds in second place.
Expected to challenge once more this season, their season has begun in mixed fashion, with two narrow wins over Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest offset by conceding a late equaliser to Fulham at home last weekend, leaving them already two points off the pace of Manchester City ahead of their clash with Manchester United.
Up steps João! 😍#ARSFUL pic.twitter.com/tf1gSPQ7P3
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) August 26, 2023
Despite this, Odegaard believes that his side are in a better place to challenge in the longer run, thanks to their added versatility in the side.
“I believe this season we can play in a lot of different ways”, he told Arsenal.com. “We are more adaptable, more unpredictable and can do different things to last season. Last year we played the same system most of the time, but now with the depth of the squad and quality of our players we can mix it up more, and that should be a strength if we use it in the right way.”
The Gunners have been handed a double blow to begin the season however, as midfielder Thomas Partey has joined summer addition Jurrien Timber on the sidelines. The midfielder has picked up a groin issue that will see him miss the international fixtures with Ghana, the country announced, and is expected to keep him out for several weeks.
