If football grounds could talk, the Emirates would probably whisper, gasp and occasionally groan. And now Martin Odegaard has admitted the Arsenal stars can feel every flutter of anxiety rolling down from the stands.
The Gunners skipper confessed that when the pressure ramps up in north London, the players sense it instantly. But rather than crumble, Odegaard insists the squad have grown thick skins and strong minds to cope with it all.
His comments come hot on the heels of a brutal blast from Roy Keane, who claimed the crowd were infecting the team with nerves after a dramatic 3 2 defeat to Manchester United.
Since that stumble, though, Arsenal have hit back in style. They brushed aside FC Kairat in Europe, outplayed Leeds United on the road and then knocked Chelsea out of the Carabao Cup under the lights at the Emirates.
Speaking on the Men in Blazers Media Network, Odegaard admitted: “Sometimes you really feel it because there are so many people. The atmosphere is always amazing and most of the time the energy is unbelievable.
“Of course fans get nervous when you’re defending a lead, but that’s football. We take the energy from them and that’s what we want.”
The Norwegian playmaker believes Arsenal’s recent battles at the top have hardened the squad.
“We’ve been in the title race for years now. Every season we grow, we get more mature and more experienced. What I see every day in training gives me confidence we can do it.”
Right now, the Gunners are sitting pretty, six points clear of Manchester City with 14 matches left. After three straight second place finishes and no silverware since the 2020 FA Cup, this feels like their moment.
Keane, though, was ruthless after the United loss, pointing fingers at both crowd and players including Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi for lacking composure.
“There was tension in the air,” Keane said. “Arsenal looked tentative and nervous. United fed off it.”
But if Odegaard’s words are anything to go by, Arsenal are learning to turn those nerves into noise, and that noise into momentum. The Emirates may tremble, but the Gunners believe they are finally steady enough to finish the job.