Martin Odegaard says injury struggle has made him stronger for Arsenal’s title defence

Martin Odegaard believes the physical setbacks he endured during the previous campaign have ultimately helped him develop greater resilience.

The midfielder lifted the Premier League trophy in May—his first piece of silverware since joining Arsenal in 2021—though his individual campaign was frequently disrupted on a personal level by knee, shoulder and muscle problems.

Restricted to just 16 starts in the league, the Norwegian missed the Carabao Cup final defeat against Manchester City, a result Arsenal reversed on Sunday with a 3-0 win in the Community Shield.

“Last year was really a big struggle with a lot of difficult moments,” Odegaard said after capping a standout performance in Cardiff with his first goal for the club since December.

“It is the worst thing for a footballer to not be able to be on the pitch and I had quite a lot of weird injuries, and bad luck.

“It was good for me to end the season with a title here and then a good World Cup. Then I had my break and I feel good, ready to go again.

Arsenal cruised to victory over Man City in the Community Shield (PA Wire)

“Last season, to miss so many games because of injury was really frustrating. What I have just worked on is to use that as motivation for this year and to come back stronger.

“To use all of those experiences in a positive way. Hopefully I can do that.”

Arsenal delivered an impressive statement of intent in the Welsh capital against opponents expected to be their main Premier League title rivals.

Odegaard has also formed an immediate bond with Bruno Guimaraes, whose £75million arrival from Newcastle has added further quality to Arsenal’s midfield options.

On Guimaraes’ instant impact, Odegaard said: “Since the first day he came in, it has been such a natural thing.

“Although we had some big fights with him in the past, he has just come into the team as a real natural part of the team. He can win the ball, he’s a fighter.

“But he also has so much quality and is calm on the ball. He always takes the right amount of time and he finds the pass. The connection is already there, you can see, it has been really easy.

“Of course, last year we won the league, but this year we want more. We want to do it again in the league and then there are the other trophies.”

It was a difficult start for Enzo Maresca at Man City (PA Wire)

The defeat represented a difficult opening for new City boss Enzo Maresca after replacing Pep Guardiola over the summer, with news later emerging that the club has accepted a £65.4m bid from Barcelona for Spain midfielder Rodri.

Defender Ruben Dias told TNT Sports: “It is the beginning of the season, it is not good enough.

“It’s part of any transition for things to be not so perfect in the beginning.

“You need to push through, you need to communicate, and make things work between us.”