Ødegaard Praises Rice’s Versatile Performance Amid Arsenal’s Injury Woes

Martin Ødegaard has expressed his admiration for Declan Rice’s extraordinary performance as an emergency right-back, underscoring Arsenal’s commitment to doing whatever is necessary to secure the Premier League title.

Jurriën Timber’s withdrawal prior to the Gunners’ 2-1 victory over Brighton—an outcome that reinstated their two-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the table—was due to a suspected ankle injury. With Ben White still sidelined, Rice stepped in to fill the full-back position. The team’s defensive issues were exacerbated during warm-up when Riccardo Calafiori had to pull out just before kick-off.

Following the tense win, Mikel Arteta remarked that the club, grappling with a plethora of injuries this season, is in a state of survival mode. With both Timber and White unavailable for Saturday’s match, Rice—who has emerged as one of the standout midfielders this season—may again be required to adapt to a different position when Arsenal faces third-placed Aston Villa on Tuesday.

Ødegaard praised Rice’s performance against Brighton, stating, “It was an unbelievable performance from him. To play right-back, probably for the first time in his life, and then do it the way he did was remarkable. This exemplifies our team’s spirit; everyone is ready to do whatever it takes.”

Ødegaard contributed to the victory by scoring his first goal of the season just 14 minutes into the match at the Emirates. Arsenal initially appeared to be cruising toward a comfortable victory when Georginio Rutter scored an own goal shortly after halftime. However, Diego Gómez narrowed the gap in the 64th minute, prompting an impressive save from goalkeeper David Raya in the final quarter of the match to help Arsenal maintain their position at the top of the table.

The Norway international expressed satisfaction at breaking his goal drought, noting, “I’ve been waiting for that goal and working hard to improve my finishing. I enjoy finding myself in those positions, and Bukayo (Saka), who knows me well, located me perfectly. It was a good goal, and I’m thrilled to have achieved it after our hard work.”