Arsenal have struggled to meet expectations in recent weeks, managing only two wins in their last five outings. Following their 1-0 loss to Newcastle United on Matchday 10 of the 2024-25 Premier League season, an Arsenal legend delivered a clear and strong message to coach Mikel Arteta and the squad about the need for improvement.

All-time 2nd top scorer Ian Wright highlighted how the team has been unable to replicate last season’s form in the absence of their influential midfielder, Martin Odegaard. He emphasized that while Odegaard’s absence has impacted the team’s creativity, the squad must still rise to the challenge if they intend to compete for the title.

Speaking on Premier League Productions, Wright didn’t hold back in his post-match assessment: “It really is quite frustrating to be ten games in and feeling like we feel now and that’s only because we know how tough it is to try and chase down Manchester City.

“One shot on target against Bournemouth, one shot on target today. It’s not good enough. It’s not good enough for a team that is going for the title,” the Hall of Famer said. “There is a lot of work to be done in that dressing room. We can’t keep saying that we’re missing Martin Odegaard. We can’t keep saying that because we know we’re missing that,” he ended.

With this latest setback, Arsenal sit in 4th place in the Premier League standings with 18 points, now seven points behind leaders Liverpool. The team’s lack of creativity and defensive solidity has left them in need of a solution, especially as Odegaard’s return remains uncertain.

Arsenal’s struggles without Odegaard

Odegaard has been sidelined since mid-September after suffering a severe ankle injury while on international duty with Norway. Without their playmaker, Arsenal have won only two of their last five games—one of those victories coming against Championship side Preston North End—highlighting Odegaard’s vital role in Arteta’s system.

When asked about the midfielder’s situation in the post-match press conference, Arteta gave a vague update on his availability: “At the moment we haven’t had him, we haven’t had him for the last 4, 6 weeks, and we don’t have him yet. We have many other answers that have been very effective, but today we need to look at ourselves, congratulate Newcastle, and move on.”

Wright, however, urged the club to establish a contingency plan for such situations, specifically pointing out Arsenal’s need for depth in midfield creativity. “Listen, Odegaard has been out for a while now. We talk about our managers… Fabio Vieira we haven’t seen too much of him, he was a player who was supposed to be in the same mold,” Wright said.