Arsenal
Ødegaard Fitness Uncertain as Norway Await Thursday Decision
Norway are still assessing Martin Ødegaard, leaving Arsenal waiting on a Thursday fitness verdict.
Norway boss Ståle Solbakken has admitted he cannot yet say whether Martin Ødegaard will be available for Thursday’s match against Wales, leaving Arsenal with an anxious wait over their captain.
Solbakken’s assessment was cautious rather than alarming, but he made clear that a final call is still pending. “I wish I could say yes, but I can’t say that. I can’t say no either,” Solbakken said, when asked whether Ødegaard will play against Wales. “He will be tested a bit today. If he had been unavailable, he obviously wouldn’t have been here.”
Ødegaard was back on the grass on Wednesday, though his involvement in the Nations League fixture remains unresolved. His presence in the camp offers some encouragement, but it does not amount to a guarantee that he will feature.
The midfielder’s fitness history explains why Arsenal supporters are watching developments so closely. During the first international break of 2024, Ødegaard suffered an ankle injury that kept him out of 12 matches for Arsenal. He was also affected by a number of other fitness concerns across his 2025–26 campaign.
Even so, he has started the new campaign in strong form and has looked close to his best in the early weeks of the season. That has only heightened the concern around any fresh setback, however minor it may prove to be.
Arsenal would probably have preferred Norway to release him as a precaution, but his continued stay with the squad suggests there is still a realistic chance he could be passed fit. As Solbakken noted, Norway would not have allowed him back into training if there were no possibility of him being ready to play.
Arsenal
Aaron Ramsdale’s decline from Arsenal starter to Southampton uncertainty
Ramsdale’s rise stalled at Arsenal, and a difficult spell at Southampton has left his future unclear.
Aaron Ramsdale’s career arc has moved sharply from the top end of the Premier League to a far less certain place. At the end of the 2022-23 campaign, he had every sign of a goalkeeper on the rise: a runner-up finish with Arsenal, a place in the PFA Team of the Year and two Premier League Save of the Month awards. At that stage, it seemed possible he could challenge Jordan Pickford for England’s No. 1 shirt by Euro 2024.
Instead, the story changed quickly. Arsenal had paid £30 million to sign him from Sheffield United in 2021, making him, at the time, the joint-most expensive English goalkeeper alongside Pickford. He kept the No. 1 spot for two seasons while Arsenal finished fifth and then second, and he played every minute of the 2022-23 Premier League season. But Mikel Arteta decided a different profile was needed, and David Raya became the preferred choice.
Arteta later explained the reasoning clearly: “very convinced that we had to make a change” and “Not because Aaron didn’t have the quality, but because, I believed, to go to the next level we needed a different profile of goalkeeper,”. Raya’s arrival initially brought uncertainty and mistakes, but he ended 2023-24 with the Premier League Golden Glove as Arsenal pushed Manchester City to the final day.
That left Ramsdale searching for a new path. A move to a leading Premier League side never appeared likely, so Southampton secured a deal worth up to £25 million at the end of the summer transfer window. Ramsdale said he was looking forward to “getting back to what I do best.” and added of Russell Martin, “The way the manager wants to play, the way he was when I spoke to him, he was just full of so much enthusiasm.”
It did not work out. Southampton’s season was historically poor, with 30 defeats, only two wins, 86 goals conceded and just 12 points before an early relegation. Ramsdale’s options then narrowed further, and a 2025 loan spell at Newcastle brought only backup duty behind Nick Pope when available. By the summer of 2026, he was back at Southampton, with a contract running until June 2028 and little obvious room to move.
Arsenal
One key issue facing each Premier League side after five matches
Five games in, the Premier League is already revealing title doubts, transition pains and early surprises.
The first five matchdays of the 2026/27 Premier League season have already given shape to a campaign that promised uncertainty from the outset. With the table still settling and another international break leaving a long pause before Matchday 6, there is time to take stock of what has emerged so far.
Arsenal’s title defence has already met resistance after a heavy defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion. Before that trip, they looked close to untouchable, but the champions have not yet shown enough to pull clear of their rivals. Bruno Guimarães has added quality, though injury has delayed his rhythm, while Christos Tzolis has stepped in as a serviceable replacement for Leandro Trossard. Even so, Arsenal’s attack was found wanting in their toughest test to date, with concerns lingering over the goalscoring burden on Bukayo Saka and the lack of a set-piece breakthrough.
Aston Villa, meanwhile, are navigating a period of change after rebuilding their core in the summer. Their first league win of the season offered encouragement, with Johan Manzambi, Nicolas Jackson and João Gomes all making useful contributions. Bournemouth have begun slowly under Marco Rose, but there is little panic as they balance league form with European demands after an opening win at Real Sociedad. Brentford continue to look like a difficult assignment at home, built on physicality and a set-piece threat that has already caused problems for visiting sides.
Brighton’s pressing game has been a feature of the early weeks, while Chelsea’s start under Xabi Alonso has raised serious questions about their structure without the ball. Coventry City finally recorded a first Premier League win in more than 25 years, though goals remain a concern. Everton’s window left them thin on options, Fulham are showing signs of adjustment under Álvaro Arbeloa, and Hull City have been one of the early surprises, even if history offers a warning.
Elsewhere, Ipswich Town, Leeds United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur all have distinct questions to answer as the season develops.
Arsenal
Arsenal’s Contract Priorities After Arteta Extends His Stay
Arsenal have tied down Arteta, but securing key players, especially Ødegaard, remains vital to the club’s project.
Mikel Arteta’s renewed deal underlines Arsenal’s ambition, but the manager is only one part of the club’s wider project. After opening the defence of their Premier League title with a win over Manchester City in the Community Shield, Arteta spoke with clear conviction about what drives him. “I feel good, different, hopefully better. More excited than ever. Hungrier than ever,” he said.
For the decision makers in north London, the next task is not simply about the dugout. With Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Gabriel already rewarded with improved terms since the summer of 2025, attention now turns to the remaining core of the squad. Securing that group would further strengthen the stability around a side that is trying to stay at the top.
Martin Ødegaard stands out as one of the most important names still needing clarity, with his current deal running until 2028. It is notable how quickly perceptions around him have changed. Some supporters had once questioned whether he should remain at the club, yet his status has grown again through a difficult but ultimately productive period.
Last season was interrupted by injuries, leaving him short of rhythm, but he still ended the title-winning campaign as Arsenal’s leading assist provider in the Premier League. This summer has only reinforced his importance. A strong World Cup with Norway and a powerful start to the club season have helped settle any remaining doubts.
Arteta has made his view plain. Ødegaard has “a point to prove,” according to the manager. “I sensed from the first day that he joined [in preseason] that he has something else in the belly that he wants to prove and show.”
His commitment has also been shown away from the main stage. After returning from the States, Ødegaard used the gym of a local school to stay sharp before he even came back into Arsenal action.
What makes him especially valuable is not limited to his technical quality. He connects the squad with the coaching staff, acts as Arteta’s voice on the pitch and serves as the players’ link into the manager’s office. For Arsenal, that combination remains hard to replace.
If the goal is to preserve the standards built under Arteta, Ødegaard’s case is a compelling one.
