Matthew Upson has praised Newcastle United trio Joe Willock, Bruno Guimaraes and Sean Longstaff for their efforts at Arsenal. He feels the Magpies stars silenced Martin Odegaard.
The Toon took a 0-0 draw at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night after a dogged defensive display from the visitors. They are the first Premier League team to stop the Gunners from scoring any this term. Newcastle are also only the third team to stop Arsenal from winning.
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Arsenal had gone into the match on the back of five consecutive top-flight wins featuring a combined 15 goals. The Gunners are also now unbeaten in 11 matches since September 4. But Mikel Arteta could not see his side find a breakthrough goal as Eddie Howe’s sat deep.
Odegaard has been instrumental to Arsenal’s run to the top of the Premier League table so far this season. No Gunners player has outscored the Norwegian or Gabriel Martinelli, who have seven goals each. Just Bukayo Saka (6) also has more assists than Odegaard on five.
Saka and Odegaard are vital to Arsenal’s creativity with team-high 37 and 36 key passes in Premier League matches this season, per WhoScored. But Newcastle held them to three – the same total that Martinelli, Granit Xhaka and Toon right-back Kieran Trippier registered.
Upson praises three Newcastle stars for restricting Arsenal captain Odegaard
Former Arsenal centre-half Upson believes Newcastle’s midfield trio of Willock, Guimaraes and Longstaff were vital to the Toon taking a point and keeping Odegaard quiet. The £34m ex-Real Madrid maestro lacked his usual composure and snatched at his chances to shoot.
“The fact that Newcastle have limited the impact of Martin Odegaard in midfield tonight [has been key],” Upson said on BBC Radio 5 Live. “The pressure is always on him and he’s never left alone with the ability to take time and choose or see the pass.
“Someone is always on him and that is credit to the midfield three – they have worked tirelessly tonight for Newcastle.”
Odegaard enjoyed a handful of chances to score as Newcastle frustrated Arsenal in north London on Tuesday night. He was also behind one of the game’s earliest openings but his volley in the third minute flew over. It proved to be a warning for his later waywardness.
Willock, Guimaraes and Longstaff also stepped up for Newcastle to keep Arsenal quiet at the Emirates. But neither had a match-winning impact on their own outside of the energy they put into tracking the Gunners. Particularly on the ball, they all could have done more.
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