Mikel Arteta Explains Why He Keeps Substituting Martin Odegaard

• Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard has endured a dip in form in recent weeks
• This has often left Mikel Arteta with no choice but to sub him off frequently
• The midfielder scored 15 goals and bagged eight assists last season

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has opened up on why he keeps subbing off Martin Odegaard in recent weeks.

The Gunners skipper was pivotal in the north Londoners' Premier League title charge last season, scoring 15 goals and bagging eight assists across 37 games.

However, he has faced criticism from some quarters lately due to his dipping form, per 90Min.

This has seen him hardly play the full 90 minutes in some fixtures, with Arteta replacing him in the 73rd minute of their Champions League clash against Sevilla earlier in the week.

The substitution came just days after the Norwegian was subbed off in the 78th minute of their 2-2 draw against rivals Chelsea.

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Arteta explains Odegaard's frequent subs

Arteta has now come out to offer some clarity into Odegaard's frequent substitutions.

According to the Spaniard, the substitutions are influenced by performances and tactical moves.

"It can be in relation to performance," he admitted via Metro UK.

"It can [also] be in relation to tactics or how the game is shifting to a type of game that I think somebody else is going to be more suited.

"Sometimes it is to get more freshness in the team because we have played a lot of games and we need a lot of energy in the last few minutes," he added.

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen the role Odegaard will play ahead of Arsenal's Premier League clash against bottom-placed Sheffield United on Saturday, October 28, at the Emirates Stadium.

Arshavin spotted in Tottenham game

Sports Brief also reported on how Andre Arshavin was spotted among thousands of fans watching the Tottenham game against Fulham.

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Arshavin starred for the Gunners between 2009 and 2013, making over 140 appearances for the North Londoners.

The 42-year-old took to Instagram to share hints of him at the stadium during the Monday night cracker.