All still to play for – Martin Odegaard defiant despite defeat to Man City

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard insists it is still “all to play for” despite rivals Manchester City taking charge of the Premier League title race.

The Gunners are on the brink of being displaced at the top of the table following their 2-1 defeat to Pep Guardiola’s side at the Etihad Stadium.

A victory for City against Burnley at Turf Moor on Wednesday would end Arsenal’s 200-day reign at the summit with just five matches to play.

However, even if City win, Arsenal will still be level on points – and Odegaard has urged his team-mates to deliver a much-needed victory in their next match against Newcastle at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

“We have to keep going,” said Odegaard. “It was always going to go all the way to the end so we have to keep going, keep working hard and sticking together.

“We just look forward to the next game now and bounce back. We created a few big, big chances (against City) so there are some positives to take.

“It is frustrating at the moment but we’ll analyse it, move onto the next one, and it’s all to play for. This is the best part of the season so we will just look forward to the next game.”

Arsenal’s defeat on Sunday was their fourth in a row on the domestic stage after their loss in the Carabao Cup final, also to City, was followed by a shock FA Cup exit against Southampton.

A crushing home defeat to Bournemouth ensued, with Arteta’s men only playing to the narrative of “bottling” their trophy ambitions as the season reaches its climax.

Should City see off Burnley, a home match against Eddie Howe’s struggling Newcastle will present Arsenal with a chance to move back ahead of their title rivals who will be in FA Cup semi-final action this weekend.

However, the Emirates has been riddled with anxiety for much of the calendar year, and Arsenal were subjected to boos by some of the crowd after their loss against the Cherries.

Former Manchester United and England captain Wayne Rooney has called for the Arsenal fans to throw their support behind Arteta’s title-chasing side.

Speaking on the BBC’s The Wayne Rooney Show, he said: “The Arsenal fans need to be better.

“I saw them boo the team off the other day. Arsenal have been brilliant all season, they are in a bad run of form, and they need to understand how much the fan support means to the players and how much it can help you.

“Those players would have put so much hard work into being in a position where they are now so to lose a game and get booed off, that would have hurt the players, 100 per cent.

“For Arsenal to win the league, the fans need to play their part. They need to get behind the team. They want to win the league, and they are desperate to do that, but they have a role to play.”