Carlo Ancelotti warned Martin Odegaard 'will have something to prove' after binning midfield upon Real Madrid return as Los Blancos prepare for Arsenal showdown

Odegaard joined Ancelotti's Madrid in the winter of 2015 from Norwegian side Stromsgodset as a highly-rated 16-year-old attacking midfielder. However, the Norway international was unable to break into Los Blancos' first team and was sent out on multiple loans until 2021. Ancelotti returned to Santiago Bernabeu that year, and in his first function as boss, agreed to the sale of Odegaard to Arsenal.

Odegaard has become one of the best midfielders in the world under Mikel Arteta at Arsenal and has helped the Gunners improve their dwindling fortunes. The north London side are now set to take on Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final, and Petit believes that the Norwegian could have something to prove to Ancelotti.

Speaking to PokerFirma, Petit said: "Martin Odegaard does have too much creative responsibility in the team. At the moment, he is the only guy who can be creative from midfield, he’s alone in that. That has to change.

"One of the reasons why Martin’s game hasn’t been as good as we know it can be is because he’s looking for movement in front of him, and it’s just not coming. He has a telepathic relationship with Saka, and he’s missed him. He needs players around him that can play combination football, one touch, pass and move, and Arsenal haven’t had those players fit for a long time.

"In his last game for Norway, he got a hattrick of assists. He looks like he’s starting to get the juice back, and it’s coming at the right time. He will have been disappointed with how his Real Madrid career came to an end – he will have something to prove to Carlo Ancelotti, the manager that signed him and then sold him. He’s the captain of Arsenal – he’ll want to lead by example, and over the last few weeks he’s been looking a bit more like himself.

"I hear that Saka could be ready for Madrid, which is massive for Arsenal, but also massive for Martin Odegaard two. Those two players bring out the best in each other."

Arsenal are set to take on Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday, April 8 at the Emirates, and Odegaard will be keen to show his talents against his former side.