Ian Wright says Arsenal player earning £240,000 a week is ‘not himself’ right now

Arsenal took the lead in the 38th minute thanks to a superb goal from Kai Havertz from outside the area.

However, Declan Rice was shown a second yellow card in the 49th minute after “denying a restart” against the Seagulls following a tangle with Joel Veltman.

Nine minutes later, Brighton equalised when Joao Pedro headed home a rebound from a saved Yankuba Minteh shot.

Arsenal squandered the match and Ian Wright shared his concerns about the performance of one of his players.

Ian Wright is concerned about Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard

The player in question is Martin Odegaard, who suffered a challenge from Minteh and was not the same afterwards.

Wright, speaking on the Wrighty’s House podcast, said the £240,000-a-week ace (Spotrac) looked “a bit out of form” – although he acknowledged the tackle may have played a part.

“I thought Odegaard was a bit out of form, a bit out of himself,” said the Highbury icon.

Co-presenter Ryan Hunn suggested the Arsenal captain may have suffered a knock, something Wright agreed with.

“Even in the first half, when the ball came to him to volley, he didn’t take it very well,” Wright added.

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Football.london gave the Norway international a 6 out of 10 for his efforts against the Seagulls.

“He began to link up magnificently on the right flank with Saka,” they wrote.

“He looked to be struggling after receiving a hard tackle from Minteh and has never been the same since.”

Similarly, the Evening Standard gave it a 6, writing: “He took a few kicks early on and never seemed quite right after that.

“It was difficult for him to get into the game and influence it as he can.”

Goal.com also gave Odegaard a 6 out of 10 and spoke about how the knocks he received affected his game.

“I took a hit early on and was clearly struggling after that,” they wrote.

“I never felt comfortable and I couldn’t dictate as usual.”

What’s next for Odegaard?

Arsenal fans will be keeping a close eye on how their captain fares in his international duties.

Odegaard is in Norway’s squad for Nations League matches against Kazakhstan and Austria over the next 10 days.

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