Odegaard reveals Arsenal’s plans for Sporting Lisbon game and mistakes learned

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has spoken out about the lessons they learned in their 2-2 draw against Sporting Lisbon in Portugal and what they plan to do differently this time. The Gunners are set to face Sporting Lisbon again in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League round of 16 tie.

In the first leg, Arsenal made a 2-2 draw with Sporting Lisbon, and Odegaard believes that they made some mistakes that they cannot afford to repeat. “We did some things in the game that we normally don’t, and we know they have quality so they will punish you for any mistakes. We gave away some simple balls and we can’t afford to do that,” said Odegaard as per Arsenal media

LISBON, PORTUGAL – MARCH 09: Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal breaks past Hidemasa Morita of Sporting during the UEFA Europa League round of 16 leg one match between Sporting CP and Arsenal FC at Estadio Jose Alvalade on March 09, 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Odegaard also noted that the game was too open, and Arsenal did not play with the control that they normally do. However, he also highlighted that there were some positive aspects of their performance. “On the other side, we showed a lot of good things as well, so if we learn from what we did wrong, put that right tonight, then we can fix it here at home,” he said.

Arsenal is currently in a title race as they are first on the Premier League table with 66 points after 27 games but are closely followed by second-placed Manchester City which has 61 points. The Gunners will be hoping to progress to the next round of the Europa League while maintaining their lead at the top of the Premier League table.

The second leg against Sporting Lisbon will be played at Emirates Stadium on Thursday night. Arsenal will be looking to secure a win and progress to the quarter-finals of the competition. They will need to be more disciplined and focused than they were in Portugal if they want to achieve this goal.

The Gunners have been in good form recently, winning four out of their last five games in all competitions. They will be hoping to continue this run of form against Sporting Lisbon and maintain their momentum going into the business end of the season.

In conclusion, Martin Odegaard’s comments highlight Arsenal’s determination to learn from their mistakes and improve their performance against Sporting Lisbon. The Gunners will need to be at their best if they want to progress in both domestic and European competitions this season.