Arsenal told they have four ‘average’ players stopping Premier League title push
Jamie Carragher has identified Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard as two of the four Arsenal players he considers to be performing at an ‘average’ level, hindering the team’s pursuit of the Premier League title.
According to the former Liverpool player, Carragher believes that Saka and Odegaard’s performances highlight the overall decline observed in Arsenal’s performance this season.
He also expressed a similar view regarding Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus, describing their contributions as ‘average’ at best, despite Arsenal adopting more attacking formations.
According to Jamie Carragher, Mikel Arteta has displayed a more aggressive approach this season by deploying Leandro Trossard or Kai Havertz in central midfield.
This strategic shift has seen them take up the position that was previously occupied by Granit Xhaka, who had a notable impact last season, contributing seven goals and seven assists in 37 games.
Injury issues have hit Saka and Arsenal’s star attackers this season
Last season, only Martinelli, Odegaard (15 goals), Saka (14 goals), and Jesus (11 goals) outscored Granit Xhaka in the Premier League for Arsenal.
However, the current top scorer for Arsenal this season is Eddie Nketiah, who has netted five goals in 13 appearances. Nketiah surpasses Saka (4 goals), as well as Trossard and Odegaard, who have each scored three goals.
In contrast, Jesus has struggled to find the back of the net this season, scoring only once in eight games due to injury setbacks.
Similarly, Martinelli has scored only once, having also missed matches due to injuries.
Fitness issues have hampered Odegaard and limited Saka’s involvement in the team.
Bukayo Saka has been a consistent starter for Arsenal, featuring in the starting lineup for 12 out of their 13 games.
However, he was unavailable for the match against Manchester City due to an injury. Additionally, Saka experienced issues in games against Tottenham Hotspur and AFC Bournemouth.
As for Martin Odegaard, he missed a win over Sheffield United due to injury and later suffered a concussion, which led to his absence in subsequent matches.
These injuries have affected the availability and participation of both Saka and Odegaard in Arsenal’s recent fixtures.
Carragher believes Odegaard and co have been ‘average’ at best
Jamie Carragher is of the opinion that the inability of Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli, and Jesus to replicate their form from the previous season is negatively impacting Arsenal’s chances of winning the Premier League.
Despite the challenges, Saka has been a standout contributor in terms of assists, leading Arsenal with five assists so far this season.
This puts him ahead of Fabio Vieira, who has three assists, and Martinelli, who has contributed two. Carragher highlights the importance of these players returning to their previous level of performance for Arsenal’s title aspirations.
“At times, they’ve actually been more offensive [than last term],” Carragher told Sky Sports. “But the reason I don’t think they are as fluid, I just think, individually, the attacking players have been average this season.
“Whereas they were on absolute fire last season, in terms of Martinelli, Saka [and] Jesus. Odegaard, for me, last season was up there alongside Kevin de Bruyne. I know he’s had a few injury problems but, when we actually look at the stats, [he has also regressed].”
Jamie Carragher supports his assessment of Saka, Odegaard, Jesus, and Martinelli being ‘average’ by pointing out their minutes-per-goal rates.
Saka currently has the best rate at 259 minutes, although it’s a decrease from his rate of once every 228 minutes last season. Odegaard’s rate has increased from 210 to 293 minutes, Jesus has seen a significant increase from 189 to 430 minutes, and Martinelli’s rate has notably dropped from 187 to 806 minutes.
These statistics suggest a decline in goal-scoring efficiency for these players compared to their performances in the previous season, contributing to Carragher’s perspective on their current form.
Arsenal told they have four ‘average’ players stopping Premier League title push