Martin Odegaard hugged his leg after Rodri charged into a tackle as Spain overtook Norway last week - and Mikel Arteta had a say in the incident
Mikel Arteta delivered his verdict after Rodri made a terrifying tackle on Martin Odegaard during Spain's win over Norway last Saturday.
The Manchester City midfielder delivered a fierce tackle that ended up sending Odegaard into the shin, infuriating Arsenal fans. The Arsenal captain moved the ball to his left foot and tried to shoot before Rodri caught it.
Odegaard rolled over in pain but was able to get up and finish the rest of the match. It also doesn't look like the tackle has done any lasting damage to Odegaard, before the Premier League season begins. Spain lost 0-3 the night before to a Norwegian side without Erling Haaland and Odegaard also featured in Norway's 1-1 draw with Georgia on Tuesday, meaning they failed to win. win in the first two games of Euro 2024 qualifying.
When asked about Rodri's tackle before Arsenal's game against Leeds, Arteta said:
"These things happen in football when they play against each other. But everyone else is good."
Arsenal are currently eight points above Rodri's City in the Premier League, while Odegaard has been one of the Gunners' best performers this season.
Rodri has won the title twice with Pep Guardiola's men but City will be keen to become the first team since Manchester United to win the title three times in a row. The Red Devils have done that twice under Sir Alex Ferguson, most recently between 2008 and 2011. Rodri plays for Spain
Rodri plays for Spain
The tackle against Odegaard wasn't the only controversy Rodri got into during his international break. The 26-year-old decided to criticize Scotland's tactics after Spain lost 2-0 at Hampden Park on Tuesday.
"That's how they play - for me, it's a bit bad. It's always a waste of time, they provoke you, they always fall. For me, it's not football," said Cityace at Viaplay. "The referee has to be involved in this but he doesn't say anything. It's a bit frustrating because we want to win and it's hard because they waste time, waste time. That's how it is. They have their guns, We have our guns and we'll learn from them next time."
However, Andy Robertson was quick to hit back at Rodri for his remarks and defend the Scottish style. Scott McTominay's double helped the Tartans defeat Spain overnight. Robertson told Viaplay Sports: "Yeah, look, I think they went down a bit easily, we're trying to say that. "We always try to train physically, we want to face them, win our challenges and I think we have done that.
"I don't think we were over the limit. They played a little bit, especially in the first half, but they are using their experience and they have put a few of us in, which is what That's fair enough for them."
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