Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has called on Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard to “step up” and win games for his side.
Scholes stated this after a 1-1 draw between Arsenal and Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday.
Odegaard entered the weekend game off a stellar performance against PSV in the Champions League, in which he bagged two goals and an assist.
All eyes were on him to inspire the Gunners against United, but he could not steer his side to victory against Ruben Amorim’s struggling team.
The former Real Madrid man showcased his class during the game, completing 68 of 73 passes (93%), creating three chances, and getting three of his five shots on target (60%).
However, he had no accurate crosses (0/6), won only one of his seven duels (14%), and completed just one of his five dribbles (20%) (stats via FotMob).
Scholes asserted that the midfielder should take more responsibility and step up his game on the big stage like the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden of Manchester City.
Speaking to Premier League Productions, Scholes said, “Odegaard, again, was an influence on the team, but I think he needs to step up in these types of games, where you might just need the one goal, you might just need that bit of brilliance.
“We’ve seen people in his position—you think of (Kevin) De Bruyne, Phil Foden—they win games for you.
“He’s a brilliant footballer, I love to watch him, (he’s) technically gifted. But, at some point, he’s got to come and win these games for his club.”
The Norway international has scored five goals and provided seven assists in 30 appearances across all competitions for Mikel Arteta’s side this season.
