Arsenal told to STRIP Martin Odegaard of the captaincy with new replacement being named

A former Match of the Day pundit has called for Martin Odegaard to be stripped of the Arsenal captaincy following his disappointing showing against Paris Saint-Germain.

Odegaard and his Arsenal teammates are poised to finish as runners-up in the Premier League for the third season in succession after Liverpool were crowned champions last weekend.

The Gunners' only hope of silverware this season now rests with the Champions League, which they are aiming to win for the first time.

However, Mikel Arteta's men will have to come from behind if they want to progress to the final after a 1-0 loss at the Emirates Stadium in midweek thanks to Ousmane Dembele's early strike.

In that encounter, Odegaard in particular came under fire for his underwhelming performance, completing only 20 passes out of the 27 he attempted, which was his lowest total of this season.

It has led to some Gunners fans calling for Odegaard to be dropped for the crucial Champions League second leg against PSG at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday.

But his performance has led to one former Match of the Day pundit going as far as saying that the Norway international should be stripped of the captaincy he has held since 2022.

Mark Lawrenson won five First Division titles and one European Cup with Liverpool in the 1980s and was a regular on the BBC show as a pundit until the end of the 2021-22 Premier League season.

Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta. (Image: Getty)

And Lawrenson has called for Gunners boss Arteta to take the captain's armband away from Odegaard, as he feels the responsibility is affecting his performances on the pitch.

He even suggested fellow midfielder Declan Rice would be a suitable replacement given he fulfilled the role at former club West Ham United.

Speaking to Paddy Power, Lawrenson said: "The captain's armband should be taken away from Odegaard, so he can get back to focusing on his performances.

"We all know that he's a good player, but he's just had a six out of 10 season."

He continued: "If you gave Declan Rice the armband instead, you imagine that it wouldn't affect his performances, especially considering he was captain at West Ham.

"I'd give it to Rice so Odegaard can focus on improving his performances."

Before the return leg against PSG in midweek, Arsenal will be aiming to solidify their second place in the Premier League when they take on Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday evening.