During Arsenal’s weekend victory against Bournemouth, Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka got the opportunity to increase their totals.
Steve Nicol, a former Liverpool player, has criticized Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka for allowing Kai Havertz to convert Arsenal’s second penalty against Bournemouth over the weekend. On Saturday afternoon, the Gunners easily defeated the Vitality Stadium with a score of 4-0, continuing their perfect start to the Premier League season.
After a quarter of an hour, Saka gave Arsenal the lead, and shortly before halftime, Odegaard added a second goal from 12 yards out. The north Londoners were then given another penalty just a few seconds into the second half.
They gave Havertz the opportunity to eventually score his first goal for the team rather than any of the goal scorers increasing their totals. The 24-year-old, who committed to a five-year contract at the Emirates Stadium in the summer, has failed to make an impression since switching from Chelsea to Arsenal, and because of his low self-confidence, he was offered the chance to create his account.
Prior to Ben White’s fourth and final goal of the game for the Gunners in stoppage time, Havertz converted his penalty. After the game, Nicol said on ESPN that Odegaard and Saka shouldn’t have brought the Germany international under such intense scrutiny.
The former Liverpool defender added, “If Arsenal’s life depends on it, Saka takes it or Odegaard takes it.” “Havertz refuses to accept it. At 2-0, the game is still in play. It’s not professional at all.
“What if he misses it and Bournemouth scores twice in the last minutes? You don’t act that way. If you allow anything like that to happen as a team coach, it will extend to other areas. You need to be exact. Orders are orders, too.
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“Do you think him scoring there will change the way he plays in the middle of the park in any way? Not at all, no. It lacks professionalism.
Mikel Arteta confirmed during the post-game news conference that Odegaard and Saka independently decided to award Havertz the second penalty. “I’m really happy for the win, but I’m even happier to be a part of a team that shows the human qualities that they did today,” the Spaniard remarked.
“Without my telling them anything, they warmed me even more today by demonstrating that empathy to a player that has some issues to handle outside. They handled things in a very organic manner.
“I’m glad they came to that conclusion. And I’m so appreciative of how our supporters made him feel today by singing his name and cheering him on. Kai Havertz is the player who deserves that the most, and I’m very thrilled for him.
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