Odegaard urges Arsenal to turn lessons into history at Atlético Madrid
odegaard says Arsenal must turn past setbacks into a chance to make history when they face Atlético Madrid in Wednesday night’s Champions League semi-final first leg. The captain said the club will stay open to criticism until silverware arrives, with Arsenal still chasing their first league title since 2004.
Ødegaard and Arsenal’s response
“It’s always going to be there until we win and that’s something you have to live with,” Ødegaard said on the eve of the match. He added: “We need to take all our experiences and the lessons and use them in a good way. It’s part of football and part of the journey.”
He framed the trip to Atlético as the next step in a longer rise. “Tomorrow against Atlético is another great opportunity for us to do something special. We know what’s there and we just have to enjoy it and be ready for it … take all the lessons you know from the past and bring it into this end of season,” he said.
Arteta on the opportunity
Arsenal go into the tie after last season’s Champions League semi-final exit to Paris Saint-Germain and after finishing second in the Premier League in each of the previous three seasons. Ødegaard said he has seen the progress since he first came to the club in 2021, calling it “amazing” to be part of the improvement and saying he wants “to take that last step and do something really big.”
Mikel Arteta set the tone for the tie by saying Arsenal would adapt to any context. “We’re going to see a team that wants to be dominant, that wants to win it and that wants to start to decide the tie tomorrow,” he said. “Now is the moment to make a statement and show how good we are, how much we want it and to make it happen.”
Havertz, Eze and Calafiori
Arsenal’s squad picture was mixed before kickoff. Kai Havertz was unavailable after limping out of Saturday’s league win over Newcastle, while Eberechi Eze remained in the squad despite a fitness concern from the same game. Riccardo Calafiori also travelled with the squad.
That leaves Arsenal with a clear choice at a critical point in the season: protect the momentum built across the past three years, or let another European run slip after last season’s semi-final exit. For Ødegaard, the demand is direct — use the lessons, attack the opportunity and deliver the result that has eluded the club since 2004.
