Martin Odegaard questions 'strange' Tottenham atmosphere against Man City

Martin Odegaard bemoaned the "very quiet" atmosphere at Tottenham Hotspur following Manchester City's 2-0 win that dented Arsenal's Premier League title hopes heading into the final day.

Erling Haaland's double secured a crucial victory for Pep Guardiola's side in north London after a build-up which saw many Spurs fans reveal they would prefer a loss on the night than see the Gunners take the initiative at the top of the table.

The Lilywhite players produced a strong performance in defeat, though they couldn't get on the scoresheet after going closest through captain Son Heung-min, who raced through but saw his strike saved by Stefan Ortega.

Arsenal had been left praying for their north London rivals to take points off their rivals but now must throw their support behind another London side in West Ham United to win their first Premier League title since 2003/04.

Writing in his pre-game programme notes, Odegaard revealed: "Our approach is clear, we have to stay completely focused on doing our job, getting the win and then let's see where it takes us.

"We always knew we would need to win, so in that way nothing has changed. Before the Manchester United match last week we had spoken together about how we absolutely had to take the fight to the last day. We knew what we were playing for: the possibility to come back to our home on the final day with everything still to play for, and to give ourselves the chance to win it here.

"It was all about just getting the win that day, so we have to be happy with that, even though we know it wasn't our best performance. The difference this year has been that we can win these types of games as well and that's a good sign. Again our defending from all over the pitch was unbelievable. So overall it was a good win, but not the best football from us.

"Then we were hoping for Manchester City to drop points on Tuesday. I watched most of that game, and I have to say it seemed like it was played in a really strange atmosphere. In fairness it looked as though the Tottenham players were trying to win because they knew they were still fighting for the Champions League, but the stadium sounded very quiet.

"But as I said, our approach to this last game stays the same anyway - we have to win. We have to stay focused on ourselves, keep the spirit high and keep believing in what we're doing. Make sure we do our job and fight until the end.

"The task is clear now: if we win, and Manchester City don't, then it's all for us. The only thing we can do is what we've done all season: keep our focus where we should, and play our game. We're back at the Emirates which is what we want on the last day, so let's see what happens."

READ THE LATEST ARSENAL NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP