Of all the problems that have encapsulated Arsenal’s struggles this season, Martin Odegaard’s form, or lack thereof, has felt the most significant.
For the few campaigns prior to this one, the Norwegian maestro was comfortably one of the Gunners’ most essential starters, as evidenced by his second successive Player of the Year Award last season.
However, whether it be down to his ankle sprain, fatigue or a drop in confidence, the former Real Madrid wonderkid has simply not been up to scratch this season.
Worse still, the 26-year-old is being outperformed by a player sold by Arteta a few windows ago, and some might even say he’s not performing well enough to wear the captain’s armband.
Arsenal's recent captains
Before Odegaard was named captain in the summer of 2022, at just 23 years old, Arsenal’s leader on the pitch was Alexandre Lacazette.
The French striker only had the armband for the latter half of the 21/22 season, getting it on a stand-in basis in December 2021 and then permanently in February 2022 before he left the club at the expiration of his contract that summer.
While the former Lyon star led the line well enough during his short stint as captain, he ultimately failed to lead the team to any glory or into the Champions League places, ultimately finishing just outside in fifth place.
In contrast, while Pierre Emerick Aubameyang’s time in charge ended in disgrace, he did have the armband the last time the North Londoners lifted the FA Cup in July 2020, scoring goals against Manchester City in the semi-final and Chelsea in the final.
Moreover, for the first half of his stint leading the team, the Gabonese superstar was arguably the most important member of the squad, as his incredible goalscoring record was the only thing keeping them from sliding even further down the table.
However, while the unreal marksman lost the armband in acrimonious circumstances, it was nowhere near as bad as Granit Xhaka’s loss of the captaincy.
The Swiss international was given the role by former manager Unai Emery in September 2019 but lost it just two months later when he swore at the Emirates faithful and threw both the armband and shirt to the crowd while being booed as he was substituted against Crystal Palace.
The tenacious midfielder eventually won the supporters back onside but left the club to join Bayer Leverkusen in 2023 for just £21m, where he won the Bundesliga last season and is outperforming Odegaard in a key area this year.
How Xhaka is outperforming Odegaard in 2024/25
So, the first thing to say is that, as Odegaard generally plays in a more advanced position than Xhaka, the fact he’s outperforming him for goals and assists should not come as a surprise.
That said, the fact that his tally of three goals and six assists is only marginally better than the Swiss star’s haul of two goals and six assists is perhaps an indication of just how much he has underperformed this year.
However, raw output is not the area in which the former Arsenal ace is outperforming the current captain.
Total Progressive Passes
166
241
Progressive Passes per 90
10.2
10.5
Total Passes into final 1/3
87
267
Passes into final 1/3 per 90
5.34
11.7
Instead, it is something just as important: their passing. More specifically, their progressive passes and their passes into the final third.
For example, according to FBref, the “dangerous” Leverkusen star, as dubbed by Ian Wright, is averaging 10.5 progressive passes per 90 this term.
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That just so happens to be the second-highest across Europe’s top five leagues, and significantly more than the Gunners’ number eight, who is averaging 10.2, despite playing higher up the pitch.
Likewise, the North Londoners’ former captain, who was nominated for the Ballon d’Or, also ranks second in the top five leagues for passes into the final third, at 11.7, while his distant successor has only been able to produce 5.34 on average per 90.
Ultimately, Odegaard is an undeniably talented footballer and someone who could still lead Arsenal to glory at some point, but this season, he has been incredibly underwhelming, and the fact that a 32-year-old Xhaka is outperforming him suggests as much.
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