MARTIN ODEGAARD has been a shadow of his former brilliant self at Arsenal this term.
A combination of illness, injury and becoming a father for the first time in December has seen him struggle for consistency and momentum, with large sections of the Gunners fanbase questioning his ability as captain with another Prem title charge falling short.
But perhaps more worryingly, it has been his creativity and intent on the ball in front of goal that has been missing – put in the spotlight following key absences to the likes of Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus for large periods of the campaign.
One area that has slumped in particular has been his shooting and scoring from outside the box, something that became a real trademark for the Norwegian in previous seasons.
But his last two games can give fans hope he is on his way back as SunSport reveals the stats behind his dramatic drop in long-range belters, and why they are so important to his overall game.
Odegaard gave a first glimpse of what was to come during his six-month loan spell from Real Madrid during the 2020/21 season, having joined on January 27, 2021.
It came in a Europa League round of 16 first leg clash away at Olympiacos, scoring his first goal for the club with a thunderbolt from 25 yards in a 3-1 victory.
Collected on the half turn, he took two touches to compose himself and with the third came a venomous thump to announce himself to the Arsenal fans and boss Mikel Arteta.
He ended that campaign with 12 shots from outside the box in 20 games in all competitions.
His bravery to shoot in those positions grew in the following seasons, and got his rewards.
In 2021/22, he attempted 33 shots from outside the box in all competitions – 32 of them coming in the Prem – scoring twice, from a free-kick in a 1-0 victory away at Burnley in September 2021 and a screamer in a 2-1 defeat at home to Brighton in April 2022.
His most successful and persistent year with long-range shots and goals came in 2022/23, scoring three times from 46 attempts in the Prem against Tottenham, Southampton and Newcastle. In total, he had 47 attempts in all competitions.
The strike against Spurs in a 2-0 away win in January 2023 was prime Odegaard – one touch out of his feet followed by a low, driven fizzler into the bottom corner.
Odegaard went one better last year with 48 long-range shots in all competitions, scoring twice. The first was against PSV in the Champions League in September 2023. The second was away at Burnley in February 2024, making it one goal from 39 long-range Prem attempts.
And the stats show that there is a direct correlation between the number of long-range shots Odegaard takes and his overall performance.
Across the 22/23 and 23/24 campaigns – his best so far in an Arsenal shirt – he mustered 95 shots from outside the box in 93 appearances in all competitions, just over one a game.
Within that period, Odegaard scored 26 goals and notched 18 assists.
So, it is perhaps no surprise that we have witnessed a below-par Odegaard showing this term with just five goals and 10 assists in 42 games in all competitions having attempted just 30 long-range shots, the only goal from them coming in the 7-1 Champions League last 16 first leg rout of PSV in March.
Of those 30, only 22 have been in the Prem with no success. You have to go back 15 months to find his last league belter from outside the box.
There have been signs Odegaard is regaining his confidence in this regard.
In last week’s 2-1 Champions League semi-final second leg defeat at Paris Saint-Germain, he was denied by a world class save from Gianluigi Donnarumma.
And in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with champions Liverpool at Anfield, another long ranger was tipped onto the post by Alisson that Mikel Merino then headed in to complete the comeback.
The message is clear then: Odegaard is at his best when he is brave enough to take responsibility and shoot from range. Once that comes back into his game on a regular basis, so will his form.
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