Martin Odegaard admitted that fine margins proved decisive as Arsenal fell to a narrow defeat against Manchester City in a high-stakes Premier League clash.
In a fiercely contested top-of-the-table showdown at the Etihad Stadium, Arsenal pushed hard, especially after the break.
They struck the woodwork twice, while Kai Havertz came agonisingly close on multiple occasions.
However, despite sustained pressure, the Gunners were unable to find the decisive breakthrough.
“It was frustrating,” Odegaard said afterwards. “It was a really tight game, eventful, two really good teams going head-to-head. Small margins again to decide it, so we’ve got to take the positives and move onto the next.
“I thought the second half was really good, we had some really good moments there, I thought in the end we put a bit of pressure in the box as well. As I said, small margins and details decide a game like this, so we’d better take those lessons and move on.”
Nevertheless, Arsenal remain firmly in control of their title destiny, sitting three points clear at the top of the table with five games remaining.
With three of those fixtures at home, the focus now shifts to maintaining momentum in the run-in.
“Keep going, keep going. It’s always going to be going all the way to the end, so we have to keep going, keep working hard, and sticking together, you know.
“Just look forward to the next game now and bounce back, and keep going.”
Despite the disappointment, Odegaard emphasized the positives from the performance, particularly the chances created against one of the league’s strongest sides.
“We created a few big, big chances there as well, so of course there are some positives to take – frustrating at the moment, but we’ll analyse it and move onto the next, you know – bounce back.
“It’s all to play for – and it’s the best part of the season. It’s all to play for, so we’ll just look forward to the next game now, and go from there.”
As the title race enters its decisive phase, Arsenal’s captain remains confident that resilience and focus will be key in their pursuit of Premier League glory.
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