Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has opened up about his agreement with Manchester City striker Erling Haaland as they both compete for the Premier League title
Martin Odegaard has disclosed the pact he’s made with Norway teammate Erling Haaland as the Premier League title battle heats up between Arsenal and Manchester City. The Gunners are pursuing their first league championship since 2004, but hold just a four-point advantage over Haaland’s City as the season reaches its crucial stages.
The Norwegian duo, who enjoy a strong friendship away from football, have clashed repeatedly in the Premier League, with Odegaard at Arsenal since 2021 and Haaland arriving at City in 2022. Haaland has been instrumental in City’s recent title challenges and has found the net in his last two matches to assist Pep Guardiola’s side in narrowing the deficit on the Gunners.
While Odegaard is determined to guide Arsenal to their first Premier League title since 2004, Haaland will be hoping to get the better of his friend once again.
The pair will continue as fierce competitors over the coming months with the title race expected to go right to the final day, yet Odegaard maintains their off-field friendship will endure – provided one commitment is honoured: What takes place on the pitch, remains on the pitch.
“We’re really relaxed about it,” Odegaard told FourFourTwo. “He knows, I know, everyone knows that we’re competing against each other.”
“That’s just the way it is. But when it comes to the national team, or even outside of football, we don’t really talk about it at all.”
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“We’re just normal friends. We talk about other things, or about the national team when we’re together.
“We don’t really speak about football that much. It’s very relaxed and we’re good friends and that’s how it should be.
“Whatever happens during the game stays out on the pitch. That’s one of the nice things about football. You give everything, you leave everything out there, then you move on.
“We focus on ourselves, on the things that we can control.”
City were in FA Cup fourth‐round action on Saturday and booked a place in the next round after the 2-0 win over Salford City at the Etihad. In the league, they will host Newcastle United, who will be without captain Bruno Guimaraes after he picked up a hamstring injury.
As for Arsenal, they will face Wigan in the cup this afternoon (Sunday) before travelling to Wolves on Wednesday. They will then face Tottenham in the north London derby next Sunday (February 22).
Pep Guardiola’s side closed the gap to just four points with a 3-0 win over Fulham at the Etihad Stadium, whilst Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw at Brentford.
When the season concludes, Haaland will link up with Odegaard in the Norway national team for this summer’s World Cup. Norway’s strong qualifying campaign has seen them end a 28‐year absence from a major tournament.
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