'Angry' Arsenal desperate to seize the moment against PSG, as Odegaard issues rallying cry

LONDON — Arsenal go into their biggest game on the European stage in decades full of anger, disappointment and hunger to prove the doubters wrong.

That could actually be a good thing as they look to overturn a 1-0 deficit when they head to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal.

There is a lot of frustration at Arsenal right now. About the loss to Bournemouth at the weekend. Liverpool winning the Premier League title with games to spare. Winning just one of their last five in the league. Injuries limiting them throughout the season. Fans are getting edgy.

But they’re also in the semifinal of the Champions League and still have a great chance of reaching the final as their first leg performance against PSG showed. All is not lost. But they’re about to enter the last chance saloon for this season.

Speaking to reporters in the tunnel area after their disappointing 2-1 defeat at home to Bournemouth on Saturday following a second half collapse, Arsenal’s captain Martin Odegaard was both focused and annoyed as he urged his teammates to use their anger as fuel for the monumental occasion coming up.

Arsenal get a big jolt before key moment in Arteta’s project

“Obviously we wanted to come here today and get a win, get a good performance and get that momentum back before a big game,” Odegaard explained. “But at the same time you have to use all the disappointment, all the anger and frustration you feel and create energy and get ready for Wednesday. So we have to use that now and, as I said, just be strong together and be ready for a massive game. We know what we play for and we’re going to be ready for that.”

Odegaard said he will be ready too, as he confirmed to Pro Soccer Talk that the whack he received on the foot late on against Bournemouth shouldn’t keep him out against PSG: “I think it’s okay. It was just a hit, so it’s a bit sore, but it’s fine.”

The stakes could not be higher for Odegaard, Arsenal and Mikel Arteta heading into this week. This is it.

This is the moment Arteta has been building towards since he took charge in December 2019. Winning this competition is the holy grail for Arsenal and something they’ve never done. Odegaard knows he is one win away from captaining Arsenal in the Champions League final in Munich on May 31 against either Barcelona or Inter Milan.

He would be just the second player in Arsenal’s history to lead them out in the final of Europe’s elite club competition. Two more wins and his name would be written in club history forever.

Odegaard hoping to step up and be the hero

But the Norwegian midfielder hasn’t been at his free-flowing best consistently since he returned from a lengthy injury earlier this season.

There have been flashes of his brilliance, like we saw with his assist for Declan Rice against Bournemouth on Saturday, but he’s played more of a supporting role as Bukayo Saka, Rice, William Saliba and others have starred in this run to the Champions League semifinal.

Pro Soccer Talk asked Odegaard if he now feels extra responsibility, as captain, to follow in the footsteps of his teammates and deliver a key, iconic moment to get them to the Champions League final.

“Yeah, that’s what we all want,” Odegaard said. “For me personally as well, I want to affect the game as much as possible and be decisive. I think that goes for all the players to be fair. We’ve shown that now in many of the games already in the Champions League that we’re ready and, as I said, we’re going to be ready for Wednesday.”

Thomas Partey’s return should unleash Odegaard, Rice

The biggest difference for Arsenal on Wednesday is that Thomas Partey will be available after being suspended for the first leg. That changes things massively. Odegaard knows that more than most.

Partey returned to midfield on Saturday and it allowed Odegaard and Rice to roam further up the pitch compared to the role they were given in the first leg against PSG.

Could Partey’s return be the big difference for Arsenal and unleash Rice and Odegaard to overpower PSG’s metronomic midfield trio of Joao Neves, Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz?

“Yeah, Thomas is a great player and great to have him behind you,” Odegaard said. “He always gives you that protection and he’s so strong in the duels and good on the ball as well. So it’s going to be a nice boost for us to have him in that game.”

“Bring the noise to Paris”

Arsenal have been very good away from home in the Champions League this season, losing just one of their six away games and that 1-0 defeat was at fellow semifinalists Inter Milan via a harsh penalty kick. Even though they won at Real Madrid in the quarterfinals, there’s no denying the magnitude of this task at PSG.

Les Parisiens are red-hot and well-balanced. Luis Enrique rested all of his key players at the weekend as PSG had the Ligue 1 title won weeks ago. They’re fresh, confident and ready to finish the job and like Arsenal they would be reaching just the second Champions League final in club history and they’ve also never won it. The pressure on both PSG and Arsenal is huge.

What is Odegaard’s message for the Arsenal fans heading to Paris hoping to see their team reach the Champions League final?

“We all know what we’re playing for. It’s a massive game and we’re one game away from the final. I think they’ve been amazing the whole season. We’ve seen them in their away games already in the Champions League, how much they give us. So I’m just grateful for that support and hopefully they bring the noise to Paris now,” Odegaard said.

Turning a negative into a positive

The final message from Arsenal’s leader on the pitch echoed the words of his manager. The Gunners are fully-focused on channeling the frustration they currently feel in a positive way to help them achieve something special at PSG.

“We have to use this in a positive and good way to be ready,” Odegaard added. “Stick together, use that frustration, use that anger and give everything on Wednesday.”

Arsenal proved in the first leg they can hang with PSG. Now they have a key player back, extra fuel to prove everyone wrong and it’s clear there will be huge pressure, and expectation, on PSG.

After five years of building to this moment under Arteta, once and for all we are about to see if this Arsenal side can deliver when it matters most on the biggest stage. Odegaard and Co. are desperate to deliver the goods. Can they seize the moment?