Just how bad was Odegaard against West Ham?

Getting into the weeds on this performance from the captain

Arsenal’s match against West Ham was deflating. Arsenal got a life line in the title race on Wednesday when Liverpool dropped points and it was potentially setting up to be a weekend where maybe Arsenal could gain further ground.

Instead, Arsenal laid an egg with one of their worst overall performances of the season.

It is a tough one because there really are not too many positives that you can pick out of it and there is plenty of frustrating performances to dwell on. One of the more popular choices in this match was Martin Odegaard.

I certainly felt that after the match, with several of his moments sticking with me as being especially frustrating but I wasn’t quite on the same level as some. The post match stats also showed that while he wasn’t a sparkling performer he did at least provide some of Arsenal’s limited threat in this match.

He led the team in goal probability added and was the leading progressor on the day.

He didn’t have the most spectacular day with just the two chances created (both late in the match) but this at least statistically wasn’t the worst match and didn’t quite match up with the feelings online.

I almost always do a rewatch to help me see things a bit more clearly and less emotionally and this divergence between the stats and the feelings presented a good opportunity to give him extra focus as I re-watched.

Here are the clips and screenshots of all the actions for Odegaard in this match. With my commentary:

0:40 - Receives from a throw in, in his own half completes the pass to Calafiori who then makes a big switch to get out of pressure.

2:07 - Receives in buildup in the wide right channel, carries it inside. Trossard goes to make a run behind but Odegaard elects to lay off to Gabriel. Maybe that pass is on but he elects to keep possession here from deep

2: 57 - West Ham are building and he closes down well. Arsenal eventually win the ball back high up the pitch.

3:29 - Receives between the lines under pressure and turns out of it. His outside of the boot pass is behind Timber and to soft to make it to Nwareri. He does press well after his turn over here to keep West Ham from transitioning.

This is a pass where his quality should put that in a better location to be received and able to advance. -0.4% Goal Probability Change

West Ham have a spell of possession and Odegaard is leading the press, nothing of particular note here from him off the ball here.

8:32 - Receives as part of the three at the back and after one controlling touch plays a quick switch across the backline to Gabriel who has space to drive forward.

8:53 - Receives between the lines on the edge of the box. He tries a blind flick and no one is making a run.

The ball is easily cleared. I like the idea of this, it is quick and what is needed to be able to combine through the block. It doesn’t come off here and this might not have been the perfect idea given the positioning of the other players. -1.2% Goal Probability Change

9:06 - He gets the ball from Saliba on the edge of the final third and see the run of Timber from the outside. He tries the pass but it is blocked by the West Ham defender and goes out for an Arsenal throw in.

11:00 - Receives between the lines in the middle third, he drives at the defender and lays it off to Trossard

11:16 - He has a tough shot from a volley on the edge of the box. It is blocked and was a 5% xG shot.

11:34 - Receives on the edge of the box. There are three Arsenal players around the penalty area but overall there are not a ton of options here.

He works it to the corner of the box before playing it back to Partey.

15:22 - Controls a second ball after a series of headers, regaining possession for Arsenal in the middle third

15:29 - Has the ball in the middle third, commits a defender but ultimately goes backwards to Timber with no options really in front of him.

19:05 - Receives in the middle third on the right and makes a sideways pass out to the left. The weight on the pass is a bit off and Trossard has to come back and get the pass that was intended for Gabriel.

19:23 - He has a nice little combination with Timber on the edge of the box.

He tries to beat his defender but has it taken off of him on the edge of the box. The Pass was a plus 1.2% and the loss of possession was a negative 3.8% goal probability added play.

19:38 - He receives on the edge of the final third and drives in before he finds Rice on the edge with a nice little dinked pass.

The play here eventually works around for a Merino shot. This is a positive play from Odegaard. The carry plus pass was a plus 5.5% combination for goal probability added.

20:34 - From a long goal kick, he wins a second ball and his pass sets up Arsenal to control possession.

21:22 - We get to see him in the final third here playing quickly and decisively.

First making a good pass into Timber (+2.7% GPA) and following it with a good run to make himself available for the next pass. He then plays it along to Merino (+3.9%) who lays it off for a Calafiori shot from outside the box.

21:53 - He is picked out between the lines by Gabriel. He shields the ball well but maybe had a not 100 percent perfect touch that he wasn’t able to move into the space and turn and face goal and continue to run at the defense. This is a foul in a dangerous spot.

23:29 - He has the ball on the edge of the final third and plays a nice little dagger ball centrally into Partey in space (+1.0% GPA).

Partey drives forward before he eventually has a bit of a miscommunication with Nwaneri and his pass goes to a different spot than his run.