Arsenal have all but secured their place in the Last 16 of the Champions League after beating Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 thanks to goals from Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard
Martin Odegaard was singled out by Mikel Arteta after scoring in Arsenal’s impressive 3-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb.
The Gunners have one foot in the Champions League knockout stage after winning against Zagreb courtesy of goals from Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Odegaard, who netted in second half stoppage time.
Arsenal know that they are in the Last 16 bar a heavy defeat against Girona in their final group game next week. And it was a night to remember for Odegaard, who scored just his second goal of the season.
Odegaard’s campaign has been disrupted by an ankle injury but he will have an influential role to play if the Gunners are to chase down Liverpool in the Premier League title race.
And Arteta felt Odegaard’s ‘angry’ celebration after said goal was telling, saying post-match: “Yes, I’m happy. We generated quite a lot [of chances]. Declan [Rice] especially, but he missed a few big chances, and really good from Martin [Odegaard].
“His first goal [and] he really needed that. You could tell by the way he celebrated that he had an anger and a desire to do it, so overall a really positive night.”
Odegaard missed Arsenal’s first three games in Europe this season as a result of the ankle injury he sustained while on international duty with Norway back in September.
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The Gunners will be hoping his strike in Zagreb is a sign that he is getting back to his best form following a sensational 2023-24 campaign, where he amassed 22 goal contributions across all competitions.
Although Arsenal made a slow start in the new-look Champions League, they sit third in the standings behind Liverpool and Barcelona, who are the only two teams guaranteed a last-16 spot ahead of the final round of group fixtures next week. And the result will also give them a boost ahead of their next domestic match this weekend as they chase down Liverpool at the top of the Premier League.
Reflecting on a job well done, Arteta added: “I’m very happy to win again at home and get a clean sheet, four in a row in the competition. It’s a massive step.
“We’re very close to achieving the goal we had before the group stage started.”
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