The nightmare returns: Martin Odegaard goes off injured against West Ham United! | OneFootball

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A familiar and unsettling shadow has once again fallen over the Emirates Stadium this season. For Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, the distressing sight of a key player heading for an early exit has become an unwelcome recurrence. This troubling pattern, which has already forced his hand on multiple occasions, repeated itself in the clash with West Ham.

The victim this time was captain Martin Ødegaard, whose first-half departure marked a worrying third instance this campaign where the Norwegian maestro has been unable to see a match through. His premature exits from contests against both Leeds and Nottingham Forest now form part of a frustrating series, leaving a palpable void in the heart of the team each time he is forced to withdraw.

It serves to highlight a stark reality about his season: the midweek Champions League fixture against Olympiacos represented a rare milestone, being only the second time Ødegaard has remained on the pitch for the entire ninety minutes this entire campaign.

Meanwhile, in a separate but equally dramatic moment from that match, the football world watched in collective disbelief. Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze found himself with the goal at his mercy, mere yards from glory, only to send the chance astoundingly wide, leaving a golden opportunity shockingly squandered.