William Gallas wants Martin Odegaard to steal the show in the massive Champions League semi-final first leg against PSG on Tuesday night.
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Gallas wants starring performance from 'quiet' OdegaardArsenal face PSG in first leg on Tuesday nightNorwegian has 'potential to be a match-winner'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Former Arsenal defender Gallas has claimed Odegaard needs a big performance against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night, urging him to rise to the levels shown by Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka in previous rounds of the Gunners' successful European campaign so far this season.
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While he remains a key player for Mikel Arteta, the Norway international has had a quieter year when it comes to goal contributions and hasn't been helped by the array of injuries suffered by Arsenal's attacking players in 2024-25. He has contributed five goals and nine assists in all competitions and missed just under two months earlier in the campaign due to an ankle problem.
WHAT GALLAS SAID
Speaking to Prime Casino, Gallas said: "It's not just him on Tuesday – it has to be other players. Declan Rice produced a world-class performance against Real Madrid, and if he can't repeat it, another player has to take the responsibility and step up with a match-winning performance.
"Odegaard, can he do this? At the moment, he looks like he can't go to that level at the moment. The level Declan Rice reached, and Saka – he had a great performance, in the first game, the second game against Madrid. I want to see Odegaard come to the party. He's been quiet this season, but we know that he has the potential to be a match-winner, a world-class player.
"On Tuesday, it will be very interesting to see what is going to happen between Saka and Nuno Mendes, because he can play top-level stuff too. It's going to be a good challenge for Saka."
DID YOU KNOW?
It was Rice's exquisite performance at the Emirates Stadium that set Arsenal up to progress past Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, netting two brilliant free-kicks alongside Mikel Merino's effort before they finished the job with a 2-1 success at the Bernabeu.