{"id":2511,"date":"2026-04-30T03:27:05","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T03:27:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=2511"},"modified":"2026-04-30T03:27:05","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T03:27:05","slug":"arsenals-odegaard-struggles-without-saka-says-scholes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=2511","title":{"rendered":"Arsenal’s Odegaard struggles without Saka says Scholes"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Paul Scholes has hit out at Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard for being too dependent on teammate Bukayo Saka. <\/strong><\/p>\n

In a discussion with fellow Manchester United legend Gary Neville, Scholes claimed that the Arsenal captain has struggled due to the absence of his midfield teammate for so much of this season.<\/p>\n

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\u201cSaka not being there is a problem because I think Odegaard does connect well with Saka,\u201d Scholes stated on The Overlap.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think he will have quite that connection with Viktor Gyokeres, because he\u2019s not that type of a player. Possibly with Kai Havertz, he could have it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Saka has just returned to the squad after a brief hiatus. The 24-year-old\u2019s injury struggles have long been a concern for Arsenal fans; last season, he missed 21 games with a torn hamstring. This season, he has been beset with more hamstring issues, a hip problem and an Achilles injury \u2013 although Arteta has been typically cautious about revealing the details of his latest issue, saying only that \u201cit\u2019s something that he was carrying for a while\u201d.<\/p>\n

His return to play brought with it a win against Newcastle, which saw the Gunners back in contention for the top spot in the Premier League.<\/p>\n

Martin Odegaard role needs a rethink<\/h2>\n

The concern is that, without Saka, Odegaard\u2019s position is flawed.<\/p>\n

Scholes argued that the Norwegian midfielder \u201cisn\u2019t playing his position properly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Discussing the Newcastle game, Scholes went on: \u201cHalf the time I saw him in the first 20 minutes he was almost the deepest man. That football, it\u2019s just bulls***.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cYou wonder why there\u2019s no flow in your team when he\u2019s behind Martin Zubimendi, he\u2019s behind Declan Rice. How can you get connections there?\u201d<\/p>\n

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Pressed on whether the poor positioning was the fault of Arteta or the player himself, Scholes answered: \u201cWhether they\u2019ve been told that or not, Odegaard is a No. 10, Odegaard connects your midfield to your forward play.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin Odegaard could still be key to Arsenal success<\/h2>\n

Despite Scholes\u2019 criticism, the Arsenal captain will likely play an important role in the coming weeks. He has been a key figure in the squad\u2019s success under Arteta, named as the club\u2019s Player of the Season in 2023 and 2024.<\/p>\n

Having had a difficult season with injuries, he has only made 22 appearances so far, down from 30 in the previous season, and down from 37 in 22-23. While he\u2019s undeniably had a tricky season, if he and Saka can stay fit, we may well see the pair prove themselves to be instrumental in the next few games.<\/p>\n

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