During a European Championship qualifier between Spain and Norway on Saturday evening, Rodri, a player from Manchester City, has been accused of attempting to injure Martin Odegaard, a player from Arsenal.
Despite being without Erling Haaland, who had withdrawn from international duty due to injury, Norway’s captain Odegaard led his side out at La Rosaleda.
In the 13th minute of the match, Spain took the lead thanks to a goal by Dani Olmo, who plays for RB Leipzig.
Despite Norway’s effort, they felt they deserved a penalty in the match. Martin Odegaard had a chance to shoot and potentially equalize for his team inside the box.
As he was about to take the shot, Rodri lunged in with a tackle but missed the ball and made strong contact with Odegaard.
The shot was subsequently blocked by Nacho.
Despite the apparent severity of the tackle, Norway was not awarded a penalty for Rodri’s late challenge, as Odegaard was left rolling on the ground in pain.
Although Rodri likely did not intend to harm Odegaard, many fans were outraged by the tackle, which could have resulted in a serious injury for the Arsenal player. Fortunately, Odegaard did not sustain any injuries, but he was unhappy that a penalty was not given.
VIDEO: Rodri smashed Odegaard in a tackle
Was this not a deliberate tackle from Rodri on Odegaard? pic.twitter.com/9OscE3G2GS
— Gooner by blood (@Gooner_By_Blood) March 26, 2023
Who will win the Premier League: Arsenal or Man City?
It’s worth noting that Arsenal and Manchester City are currently in the midst of a Premier League title race, adding an extra layer of tension to the clash between Odegaard and Rodri during Spain vs Norway match.
Currently, Arsenal leads the Premier League table with eight points more than their closest rivals, having played one additional game.
With only 10 matches left in the season, the title race is heating up, and April 26 could be a pivotal date as Arsenal faces Manchester City at the Etihad in a highly-anticipated title decider. This means that Rodri and Odegaard could find themselves competing against each other once again.
Odegaard: I’m dreaming of lifting the Premier League trophy
Before the international break, Odegaard was asked whether he was already dreaming of lifting the Premier League trophy as Arsenal captain to which he replied: “Yeah, you can always dream!
“It’s been my dream since I was a baby, so, of course, you can dream. But the main thing is to stay calm, to keep working hard, and to keep pushing every day to make sure that we get better every day.
“I think everyone enjoys it, we are where we want to be. We have to enjoy it. We are in a good position, so we want to enjoy this, and the connection with the fans, within the team, everyone is so together now. So we just have to keep going the same way and keep pushing every day to get better and to stay where we are.”