Odegaard reflects on Arsenal’s near miss: “we Just need a little bit more to win it”

The 2023/24 Premier League season may have ended in disappointment for Arsenal, but their captain Martin Odegaard is confident the team can take the final step to win the title next year.

Speaking from the club’s summer training camp in Marbella, Odegaard acknowledged the Gunners’ impressive campaign, which saw them finish second in the league with 89 points. “First of all, it was a good season,” the Norwegian midfielder told The Standard. “We made history, and we have to be proud of those things. It wasn’t enough to win it, but in football, it is small margins. We didn’t have the consistency to win it. We know we can improve.”

Odegaard pointed to the team’s growth and development over the course of the season as a source of optimism. “If you compare last season to the season before, we looked a lot stronger, especially towards the end of the season. I think we looked a lot more mature, more confident,” he explained.

The turning point, according to Odegaard, came during the team’s mid-season break in Dubai. “We were struggling before Christmas and then we had a little break, went away [to Dubai in January], and got even more together as a group. After that, we came back so strong and were really consistent. We just need a little bit more to win it.”

With Manchester City crowned champions with 91 points, Odegaard and his teammates are determined to close the gap in the upcoming season. “We know we can improve,” the captain said, hinting at a renewed sense of purpose within the Arsenal squad. Their hunger to finally end their title drought will be a key driving force as they look to mount an even stronger challenge next time around.