On Thursday, Arsenal await Aspmyra when Bodø/Glimt will try to avenge the 3-0 loss in London. It can quickly become a different type of battle. Where Glimt has won only two away games in Europe, the yellow jerseys have 16 wins out of 17 games on their own artificial turf. GOOD TONE: Here, Kjetil Knutsen and Mikel Arteta greet each other before the match in London. Photo: DAVID KLEIN / Reuters That includes two scalps against Roma (6-1, 2-1). However, manager José Mourinho was not kind to the artificial grass, neither before nor after the losses in the Serie Liga. The Portuguese believed that football is “a completely different sport” on the artificial surface. Ødegaard himself is well used to artificial grass after his childhood and youth in Drammen and Strømsgodset. When he was asked by Nettavisen about what traps Arsenal could fall into on Thursday, he replied: – The biggest trap is talking too much about artificial turf and using excuses about it, and the weather and everything. I feel that is the biggest trap you can fall into, said Ødegaard and continued: – We are focused on one thing and that is to win the game. That’s what matters. So it’s the same for us whether we play on artificial grass or regular grass, whether it’s snowing or whatever. That’s not what matters. We must win the match and that is what we must focus on. news highlighted Mourinho’s conclusion to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. We then asked if the Spaniard agreed with his coaching colleague. – Obviously, you are aware that there is a part that is different. The speed is different, the way you can use the track is different. We have to adapt to it. We know that. We are here to win the game. Tomorrow night we will play on artificial grass, replied Arteta. Full roses Ødegaard Arsenal captain Ødegaard is obviously far more used to artificial turf than his teammates after having “grown up” on the surface. He also has fond memories of Aspmyra. The then 15-year-old Ødegaard excelled against the hosts when Strømsgodset took their first victory in Bodø in 2014. PREVIOUS TIME: Martin Ødegaard (15) in action against Bodø/Glimt på Aspmyra in 2014. Photo: Mats Torbergsen / NTB Scanpix – I have good memories from here. We won 4-0, and it was one of the better games I played in Godset that season, I felt. I have good memories from here, and hope that we can deliver something similar tomorrow, says Ødegaard to news with a smile. Eight years later, Ødegaard is both captain and conductor for Arsenal and Norway. Bodø/Glimt will soon notice that on Thursday evening. – The thing about Ødegaard is the rhythm player he is in the team. Where you think you have him under control, he suddenly opens up the game to the opposition with one pass. Few other players have that, says Glimt coach Kjetil Knutsen to news.
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