Why Arsenal Are Missing Key Creator As Eze Numbers Shock

Arsenal’s struggles in the final third have become increasingly apparent, with Wednesday’s Champions League draw against Bayer Leverkusen highlighting a creativity crisis that has plagued the Gunners throughout the campaign.

The match marked the first time Arsenal failed to win in the Champions League this season, with Kasper Hjulmand’s side achieving what even Bayern Munich couldn’t manage. Despite chances for Gabriel Martinelli and Jurrien Timber, Arsenal carried little threat, with Viktor Gyokeres failing to register a single shot.

The Creative Void

Post-match analysis revealed a telling pass map showing a glaring gap around the penalty area’s edge – what appears to be a “Martin Odegaard hole” in the team’s attacking structure. According to Football London, the captain’s absence is severely impacting Arsenal’s creative output.

The statistics paint a stark picture of Odegaard’s importance. Despite what many consider his least impressive seasons at the club due to injury disruptions, the Norwegian remains Arsenal’s most creative force. In 2024/25, among players with over 500 minutes, Odegaard created the most chances from open play per 90 minutes at 2.0 – ahead of Bukayo Saka (1.8) and Gabriel Martinelli (1.4).

Eze Comparison Reveals Gap

This season, Odegaard’s numbers have improved to 2.4 chances created from open play per 90, while his 7.9 passes into the box per 90 minutes tops Arsenal’s rankings. Most notably, this figure dwarfs summer signing Eberechi Eze‘s 2.9 – meaning Odegaard operates at nearly three times the rate of the Crystal Palace arrival.

Across the Premier League, only seven players with at least 900 minutes have registered more passes into the box per 90 than Odegaard’s 7.9. These numbers become even more remarkable considering they come during a period where the captain is perceived as below his peak level.

Following the Leverkusen stalemate, Mikel Arteta acknowledged Odegaard’s unique qualities while emphasizing the need for available players to step up. “Martin has different qualities, but we have players with a lot of talent,” Arteta said. “The execution of a lot of actions obviously has to be at another level.”

Odegaard isn’t expected to return until after the international break, potentially earlier if his recovery accelerates. In his absence, Arteta may look to Kai Havertz’s return to provide the creative link that has been sorely missing from Arsenal’s attacking play.