Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has revealed he suffered from a surprise illness in the build-up to last month's north London derby, which almost forced him to miss the match.
Arsenal welcome Manchester City to the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night for an eagerly anticipated top-of-the-table clash.
The Gunners are three points clear of Pep Guardiola’s side at the summit of the Premier League but have claimed a draw and a defeat in their last two games.
Indeed, a win for Man City would take them to the top of the table on goal difference, and see the momentum in the title race swing in favour of the reigning champions.
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If Arsenal are to claim a crucial home win against Guardiola’s men, they will need their most influential players fit and firing.
Odegaard in particular has been influential during the Gunners’ toughest tests this term. He was magnificent as Mikel Arteta’s side saw off their north London rivals 2-0 in January and was central as the league leaders claimed a statement victory over Manchester United the following week.
However, the Arsenal captain has since revealed he almost missed the victory against Tottenham through illness.
Odegaard reveals illness before Tottenham clash
In an interview with Standard Sport, Odegaard admitted he almost missed last month's crucial game against Spurs.
"I started to feel a bit ill in the evening, just after dinner," the Norway international said.
"Then I started throwing up, I did all night.
"I was a bit scared because when I first woke up in the morning - well, I didn't really sleep much - I didn't feel good."
When asked whether he was merely suffering from pre-match nerves, Odegaard replied: "No, not really!
"I'm usually pretty calm before the game. Maybe it was something I ate but I was a bit stressed that I was going to miss it.
"Then, suddenly, I just got better, managed to eat and the doctor and nutritionist helped a lot. I got there in the end."
Topics: Football, Martin Odegaard, Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Mikel Arteta
Chris Byfield