Martin Odegaard on Arsenal-Manchester City Rivalry: “It's Normal to Have a Little Heat”

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has played down the significance of the heated exchange between Erling Haaland and Mikel Arteta, saying the intense rivalry between Arsenal and Manchester City is a natural consequence of both teams' desire for supremacy.

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has acknowledged that the intense rivalry between his side and Manchester City is a natural consequence of both teams' desire for supremacy. The two teams have consistently been among the top contenders in the Premier League, with Arsenal finishing as runners-up to City in the 2022-23 season.

The rivalry between Arsenal and Manchester City has been fueled by their closely contested matches in recent years. Last season, Arsenal pushed City to the final day of the Premier League title race, ultimately finishing second behind Pep Guardiola's side. The tension between the two teams was palpable in their previous meeting in September, which saw tempers fray.

During that September encounter, Erling Haaland, Odegaard's Norwegian compatriot, was involved in a heated exchange with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. Haaland threw the ball at Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes and directed heated words at Arteta, telling him to “stay humble.” The incident highlighted the intense rivalry between the two teams, which is expected to be on full display when they meet again at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has downplayed the significance of the heated exchange between Erling Haaland and Mikel Arteta in their previous meeting, suggesting that such incidents are an inevitable part of high-stakes football matches. “I think in football, games like this, the emotions are so high and the adrenaline is there and everything. That's something that can happen on the pitch and then when you walk off the pitch, then you are done with it,” Odegaard told British media.

Martin Odegaard makes it look easy 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/rl0ftAGz9H

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 16, 2025

Odegaard emphasized that the intense rivalry between Arsenal and Manchester City is a natural consequence of both teams' desire to be the best. “It is not something I think too much about. I think it is normal when you play these big games that there is a big rivalry. You are competing and you want to be the best. So, that's how it should be and there should be a little bit of heat sometimes.” Despite the intensity of the rivalry, Odegaard noted that many players on both teams know each other from international competitions, which can help to maintain a sense of perspective.

Silky skills from the skipper 🪄 pic.twitter.com/oTsIo3bsJt

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 30, 2025

The rivalry between Arsenal and Manchester City will be on full display when the two teams meet at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. City are currently fourth in the league standings with 41 points, while Arsenal are second with 47 points, six points behind leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand. As Odegaard observed, “But then, I think a lot of the players know each other from the national team - England, Brazil, me with Erling - so on the pitch and off the pitch it is a bit different. When we are on the pitch, then it's a good battle.”