NEWS. . . BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Jamie Carragher insists on his claim that Martin Odegaard’s celebrations after Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Liverpool were “over-the-top” and resembled those seen after a cup final win.
The outspoken former Liverpool defender drew the ire of Arsenal fans with his reaction to the team’s triumph over big-name opponents in February, while goals from Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard secured the hosts’ woes in north London.
The result saw the Gunners put themselves within two troubles of leaders Liverpool at the time and Mikel Arteta can simply hide his feelings when the full-time whistle blew, and the Spaniard was seen running down the touchline and raising his fist.
Soon after, Arsenal captain Odegaard borrowed a camera from the club’s official photographer, Stuart MacFarlane, and began taking pictures of him in front of the Emirates faithful.
Carragher, a co-commentator for Sky Sports, was unimpressed and asked the Norwegian to just “go down the tunnel” rather than enjoy the moment on the pitch.
‘Poor me. Just walk through the tunnel. You’ve won a match. It’s 3 points,” Carragher said at the time.
“They’ve been brilliant, they’re back in the name race, they go through the tunnel. “
When his colleagues at Sky Sports poked fun at his rant a little later, Carragher replied: “I mean it, honestly. “
Odegaard and Carragher were reunited a month later, after Arsenal put Premier League wrestlers Sheffield United to the sword with a 6-0 win at Bramall Lane.
During an interview with Odegaard on Monday Night Football, Carragher jokingly asked the Norwegian why he hadn’t joined him through MacFarlane as the Arsenal players celebrated the victory and either had to put aside any potential hostility.
But Carragher defended his initial complaint against Odegaard when the issue was raised again through a Q&A query from an Arsenal fan on YouTube channel The Overlap this week.
“I laughed about it and I think Odegaard was brilliant. . . I don’t know if you saw the Monday Night Football interview a few weeks later, when we joked about it. And I’ve also looked at the photographer a few times. “” said the former Liverpool and England centre-back.
“I think every time that happens, social media clearly goes crazy and everybody goes tribal and I understand all of that.
“But I think it’s great that we can laugh about it a few weeks later. “
Carragher added: “I think it’s a bit of an exaggeration on Odegaard’s part. No Arteta and the birthday party along the line, it’s time.
“I was just thinking about that camera and photographer thing. . . it reminded me of anything you do at the end of a cup final where you won the cup, John Bailey’s got a stupid hat, somebody’s got the kitman on his shoulders. . . perceiving all of that.
“But I thought, ‘It’s a championship game, you won, go through the tunnel!'”
Gary Neville has said he has “no problem” with Arsenal’s celebrations this season, and felt Arteta’s side were guilty of a “lack of emotional control” towards the end of last season.
“If Manchester United, 20 years ago, equalised in the last minute of a game, we would be celebrating. We would pass the ball and get back to the halfway line,” said the former Manchester United and England right-back.
“If we then won a game in the last minute, we’d celebrate and go through it like crazy. But at the end of the game we were still in because the homework wasn’t done.
“There’s this detail of: Are you in control of your emotions?It’s a feeling in the stadium.
“To be honest, this season I haven’t had any challenges with Arsenal’s celebrations and I haven’t had any challenges with this day. I imagine it as a great win against Liverpool.
“I had a challenge last year where I thought there was a lack of excitement before the robbery.
“Arsenal beat Bournemouth with about 12 games to play and Bournemouth were in the bottom 3 and it was almost like Arsenal were lifting the trophy. I felt that feeling, that emotion was lost a little bit.
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