- Odegaard gets Norway call-up
- Arsenal fans unhappy
- Gunners held to a 1-1 draw by Chelsea
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The Gunners captain got his first start since August on Sunday as he provided the assist for Gabriel Martinelli's goal in the team's 1-1 draw against Chelsea in the Premier League. The midfielder has received a national team call-up for Norway's upcoming Nations League clashes which has angered a section of the Arsenal fans. Speaking to Nettavisen, Norway boss Stale Solbakken confirmed Odegaard's call-up as he said, "I spoke to him late yesterday. He is on his way to Oslo, so we can take it from there."
Odegaard damaged his ankle ligaments while playing for Norway on August 31 and has spent the last two months on the sidelines. Now that he once again returns to national team duty just days after regaining his full fitness, Gunners supporters feel that the club should not have allowed the player to leave.
An X handle named Antonio Zeca wrote on the platform, "Damn! We haven’t learned our lesson man!"
Acetyl CoA wrote, "What???? I thought we had an agreement with them to exclude Odegaard from this international break matches????"
This Arsenal fan, with the handle Chubie_Ujah, angrily wrote, "But why exactly is he going? It makes no sense at all."
A fan named Matt wrote on X, "This is an utter joke. Only just come back from an injury he picked up with Norway which has ruined our season, and the moment he’s fit again they want him to travel but might not even play him? Arteta has to step in here, surely? It’s just silly."
Rebecca Tyson feels that Declan Rice should also stay back at the club along with their skipper as she wrote, "Why do we seem to be the only team that panders to the international teams? Rice shouldn’t be going either."
Speaking on the 25-year-old after the match, manager Mikel Arteta said, "I don’t know another player that is capable of playing at that level after six weeks out. How physically and mentally connected he was with the team... it was unbelievable."
AFPWhile the North London side picked up a crucial point in Sunday's league clash, they remain winless in their last three games across all competitions and currently find themselves fourth in the league, nine points behind leaders Liverpool.
AFPArteta's men will be back in action after the international break on November 23 as they take on high-flying Nottingham Forest at Emirates Stadium.