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Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard came under fire from Alan Shearer following the Gunners’ underwhelming performance in their 1-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final at the Emirates Stadium.
Ousmane Dembélé struck early for the visitors, finishing a slick team move in the fourth minute with a brilliant strike from the edge of the box — a goal that ultimately decided the contest.
Arsenal had a goal disallowed early in the second half when Mikel Merino was ruled narrowly offside before heading in from Declan Rice’s delivery. Despite testing PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma through Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, the hosts failed to find a breakthrough. PSG, meanwhile, came close to doubling their lead, with Gonçalo Ramos rattling the crossbar late in the second half.
The result leaves Arsenal with a tough task ahead of next week’s second leg in Paris, and pundits were quick to point fingers, particularly at the team’s midfield.
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Ødegaard endured a subdued evening, struggling to influence the game and eventually being substituted for teenager Ethan Nwaneri in the closing stages. Shearer, speaking on commentary for Amazon Prime, criticised the Arsenal skipper’s lack of impact.
Martin Odegaard (Image credit: Getty Images)“He’s been a bit of a disappointment tonight, Ødegaard,” Shearer said. “Maybe I expected more of him — to stamp his authority on this Arsenal team. He hasn’t been able to find that killer pass or make those runs into the box like you’d expect. He’s been well marshalled.”
Former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney also weighed in, aiming criticism at Arsenal’s midfield trio of Ødegaard, Rice, and Merino for their disjointed pressing and positional discipline.
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“The midfield three for Arsenal are all over the place,” Rooney said at half-time. “They’re trying to press the ball at every opportunity and leaving massive gaps — like you saw for the first goal. PSG will punish that.
“They need to sit in shape, let PSG have the ball for a bit. Right now, their pressing suits PSG perfectly.”
Arsenal’s midfield was notably without Thomas Partey, who missed the game through suspension following a yellow card in the quarter-final against Real Madrid. The Ghanaian is expected to return for the decisive second leg, providing Arteta’s side with much-needed stability in the middle of the park.
Arsenal now head to Paris with their Champions League hopes hanging in the balance, needing a win to keep their dream of a first-ever European title alive.
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