Martin Odegaard hits back at Bernardo Silva after his unnecessarily dangerous tackle

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·28 September 2026

Martin Odegaard hits back at Bernardo Silva after his unnecessarily dangerous tackle

Martin Odegaard was on the receiving end of a needless tackle from Bernardo Silva when Norway faced Portugal in the Nations League last night, and the Arsenal captain has criticised the Real Madrid midfielder following the incident.

Silva was at the centre of several controversial moments in the Premier League during his time at Manchester City, particularly when they faced rivals such as Arsenal and Liverpool. The Portuguese midfielder remains one of the finest players in the game, but he now plays in Spain and should have moved on from whatever rivalry existed during his time in the Premier League.

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In the game against Norway, Odegaard was in possession of the ball when he spotted Silva moving towards him to press. The Arsenal captain quickly released a pass, but Silva still caught his ankle with his challenge, in an incident that left Odegaard questioning the nature of the tackle.

Odegaard Questions Silva’s Challenge

After injuries affected him last season, Odegaard has been careful to avoid another setback. The Arsenal captain was therefore unhappy with the challenge from Silva, particularly because he had already released the ball before the contact was made.

Odegaard does not understand the need for that type of play from Silva and believes such incidents should not simply be allowed to happen without consequences. The incident left the Norway international frustrated after what he viewed as an unnecessary challenge.

(Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

Odegaard Makes His Feelings Clear

Odegaard has experienced injury problems previously, making his desire to avoid another setback understandable. The midfielder will be hoping that the challenge does not lead to any further problems as he prepares to return to club football.

The Arsenal captain was clearly unhappy with Silva’s actions and questioned why a player would make such a challenge in the first place. He also believes Silva should not be able to make that type of challenge without facing consequences.

As quoted by Football London, Odegaard said:

“It doesn’t belong on a football field, it’s a shame that people do that.”

His comments underline his frustration with the incident and make clear that he felt the challenge was unnecessary.

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