Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard has called on his teammates to regroup and move forward after a frustrating 1-1 draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday.
The result marked a missed opportunity for the Gunners to close the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool, whose derby match against Everton was postponed.
Arsenal now sits six points behind Liverpool in the title race.
Ødegaard, who was making his 100th appearance as Arsenal captain, expressed disappointment over the team’s inability to turn their dominance into a win.
Speaking to the club’s official website, he reflected on the match and emphasized the need for improvement in key areas.
“We didn’t score enough goals to win,” Ødegaard stated.
“We controlled the game completely—they didn’t create much apart from their goal.
We had some big moments, including the disallowed goal at the end.
“We did many things right, but we have to be more aggressive in and around the penalty area.
While we created a few big chances, this is the kind of game we should be winning, so it’s disappointing.
That said, we have to move on and focus on the next match.”
The Gunners’ frustrations were compounded late in the game when Bukayo Saka’s header was disallowed by VAR due to an offside in the buildup involving Gabriel Martinelli.
Although Arsenal demonstrated their strength on set-pieces by scoring from a corner for the fourth consecutive game, Ødegaard acknowledged that the team still needs to improve its attacking efficiency.
“Our set-pieces are a real strength, and people expect us to score from them,” Ødegaard noted.
“We managed to score today, but we could have had more. It’s a positive aspect of our game, but there’s definitely room for improvement.”
Despite the disappointment, Ødegaard emphasized the importance of maintaining focus and bouncing back quickly, especially with a demanding schedule ahead.
“The mood in the dressing room is obviously low because we didn’t get the win,” he admitted.
“But we can’t afford to dwell on this result. We need to turn our attention to the next game and make sure we secure three points.”
Arsenal will now aim to respond positively in their upcoming fixtures as they seek to remain competitive in the race for the Premier League title.
Ødegaard’s message highlights the need for resilience and sharper execution as the team looks to stay within striking distance of Liverpool at the top of the table.
