Despite putting in a stellar performance against Premier League leaders Liverpool to salvage their title aspirations, most of the post-match talk surrounding Arsenal and their 3-1 win over the Reds surrounds their full-time celebrations.
Mikel Arteta and his players were understandably ecstatic when Leandro Trossard scored the team's third goal in stoppage time to kill off the game and the celebrations carried on after the final whistle. However, several pundits and rival fans took issue with this reaction.
Sky Sports duo Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville both criticized the North London giants, with the earlier accusing them of lacking discipline while the Manchester United icon argued that they exhibited their immaturity once more.
However, speaking after the game, Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard pushed back against these claims when asked by Sky Sports themselves. The Norwegian ace, who worked tirelessly at the heart of his team's midfield alongside Declan Rice and Jorginho, argued that this was a natural reaction given the importance of this fixture.
The former Real Madrid talent's face said it all when he heard the question: "I think everyone who loves football, who understands football, they know how much it means to win this game.
"And if you're not allowed to celebrate when you win a game, when are you allowed to celebrate?" the captain rhetorically asked.
Martin Odegaard responds to the criticism of Arsenal's post-match celebrations after beating Liverpool pic.twitter.com/Ba5qKAo5cf
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 5, 2024
Odegaard was spot-on with his assessment of this match. Arsenal entered the tie five points behind Liverpool, meaning a defeat would have all but ended the Gunners' title race. A draw would not have even been satisfactory given the deficit, hence the importance of this victory.
Arteta's side are now within two points of the league leaders. However, while they are three ahead of defending champions Manchester City, the Cityzens have two games in hand, one of which is Monday's trip to Brentford, and are likely to leapfrog Saka and Co. in the table.
This means Arsenal still have their work cut out for them if they are to win the Premier League for the first time in two decades. Next up for the London outfit are back-to-back trips to West Ham and Burnley before their first-leg tie against Porto in the UEFA Champions League round of 16.
