Before every game at Emirates Stadium, Martin Odegaard lifts the lid on the mood in the camp via his captain’s notes published in the matchday programme.
Ahead of our Champions League quarter-final second leg against Sporting CP, Martin chats about bouncing back after the Bournemouth defeat, the opportunity ahead of us after last 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 a great position in this tie after our win in Portugal last week, and we know exactly what we need to do tonight.
Of course, Saturday’s result here against Bournemouth was massively disappointing for everyone, so it’s good that this game has come around so quickly to give us the opportunity to respond. In football you quickly get the chance to put things right, and now we want to do it.
You have to go through difficult moments in every season, so the important thing is to use that pain in a positive way to move on to the next one. That’s what we want to do tonight back in the Champions League – there is obviously still a lot to play for. We have worked so hard all season and we are determined to make the most of this position we are in. We have the opportunity to make history by reaching back-to-back Champions League semi-finals for the first time in our history, so let’s make it happen.
We got a good win in Lisbon last week. It’s always tough to play away in Europe, and Sporting are very strong at home as well. In the knockout rounds, when you play home and away, it’s key to get a good result in the first game, and so for us to come back here with a win from that game was brilliant and exactly what we wanted.
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Highlights: Sporting CP 0-1 Arsenal
It was a strong performance from us over there, and I thought we defended really well. We could have created a bit more going forward, but we got the goal in the end and the result we wanted. It was a brilliant pass from Gabi to set it up, and Kai took the chance really well too. It was a great time to score. Now it’s time for us to be ready back here at Emirates Stadium to finish the job.
David Raya made some great saves that night, and he’s definitely up there with the very best in the world for me. He’s been so consistent for a long time now; last season and this he’s been unbelievable. He’s so important for us and it’s great to have a character like him at the back for us as well.
He’s a leader in the dressing room for sure. He’s a guy who talks a lot and takes a lot of responsibility for the team. He helps me out a lot in terms of being a big part of the leadership group. He’s a great character to have around.
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David Raya: Eyes on the prize
Everyone can see his quality on the pitch but also off the pitch, he brings a lot to the team and to the group. He’s really grown in that role and stature since he arrived here, so massive credit to him for that. When you look at our team, there are a lot of different leaders, and David is someone who does a lot of work behind the scenes. He talks a lot and he really cares about people and getting the best out of everyone.
Maybe supporters wouldn’t realise that as much when you see him play because he’s always at the back of the pitch, but he’s a really big part of the group and a really strong leader.
I had to go off during the second half of that game in Portugal last week, feeling my knee, which is why I missed the game at the weekend. I caught it a little bit against Sporting, but hopefully it shouldn’t be too bad. I’m desperate to get back as soon as possible because this is the crucial period of the season, in the Premier League and Champions League.
Read the rest of Martin’s notes, as well as a host of other fantastic content, by buying the Arsenal v Sporting CP programme either around the stadium or online.
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Learn Odegaard’s captaincy style in Modern Leader
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