Martin Odegaard hits out at ‘strange’ decision to send off Arsenal defender William Saliba against Bournemouth

Martin Odegaard has hit out at the ‘strange’ decision to send off William Saliba during Arsenal’s shock Premier League defeat to Bournemouth.

Saliba was handed the first red card of his professional career at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday after being adjudged to have denied Evanilson a goalscoring opportunity.

The French defender tripped Bournemouth’s record signing Evanilson close to the centre circle and the yellow he initially received from the referee was upgraded to a red following a VAR check.

The score was goalless when Saliba left the field inside the opening half an hour but Bournemouth went on to clinch a famous 2-0 win and inflict a first defeat of the season on Mikel Arteta’s title-chasing Arsenal.

With Liverpool and Manchester City both winning 2-1 later in the weekend, Arsenal are now four and three points behind their rivals in the Premier League table.

Odegaard, currently out injured, told Arsenal’s official website: ‘From my point of view it’s a different perspective watching our games on TV, and I think I can learn a lot from that as well.

‘It’s easier to see the movements of every player, things like that, so I think I’ve been learning a lot from that both in the sense of watching my teammates but also seeing what other teams are doing.

‘It gives you ideas of what you can do better, and it helps me see my teammates better too.

‘It can be a good way to see small details and things you wouldn’t normally pick up on the pitch, but saying that it’s very frustrating too not being involved.

‘For Saliba’s red card for example, my first feeling was that a yellow card would be enough, and it was the same for the referee.

‘He had a clear view on it, so I thought it was strange that VAR should then change his decision. It’s done now though, so we have to move on and look at the next game.

‘And it’s a big game for us to focus on, back in the Champions League.

‘Shakhtar are a side with lots of experience in this competition, in fact I remember playing against them for Real Madrid a few years ago, so they know what this competition is all about.’

Odegaard has not featured for Arsenal since the end of August but believes he is ‘getting closer’ to a long-awaited return.

Updating fans on his injury recovery, Odegaard added: ‘I’ve been working very hard on my recovery in the past few weeks, and missing out on big Champions League nights like this just makes me more determined and motivated to get back as soon as possible.

‘I’m feeling better and better each day, but when it’s an ankle injury you have ups and downs as well.

‘Some days you feel really good, and then sometimes you can have a little reaction. But in general it’s getting better and I feel like I’m getting closer now.

‘I’ve been doing a lot of work in the gym, and was on an anti-gravity treadmill recently, which is really good because it takes the weight off.

‘Especially at the beginning that was really good, to be running again like that when you’ve been offloading the leg and not using it as much as normal.

‘That was a good feeling, helping me get back to moving in a normal way, and being able to run after not being able to do that.’

After facing Shakhtar in the Champions League, Arsenal return to Premier League action on Sunday against early leaders Liverpool – but will be without influential defender Saliba.

Liverpool have won 10 of their first 11 games under Jurgen Klopp’s replacement Arne Slot and beat big-spending Chelsea 2-1 at Anfield over the weekend.

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