Ex-Ireland Player Critical Of New Sky Sports Half-Time Feature

Arsenal captain Odegaard was interviewed at half-time of the Premier League tie.

Sky Sports introduced a new feature of their coverage on Sunday as Arsenal beat Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford.

At half-time of the Premier League encounter, Martin Odegaard was interviewed in the stadium tunnel - the first time that the broadcasters have interviewed a player involved in the match at the break.

The Arsenal captain spoke to Sky Sports for around a minute and offered his thoughts on the game to that point.

"They have quality and really good players up front," Odegaard told Sky Sports.

"I think we let them play through us too easily at times, but also, we had a lot of space up front.

"When we regained the ball and we got to run and counter. We just need to be a bit more clinical in those moments, and we will have a chance to score more.

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"It has been a bit too hectic at times. So much space. It's too open.

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"We need to control it a bit better and be more compact without the ball. When we get the ball, we need to pick the right moments and be more accurate when we counter."

However, despite Odegaard offering insight into the encounter, many fans watching at home weren't impressed with the feature, which appears to be part of the new Premier League TV deal.

Many viewers, including former Ireland midfielder Glenn Whelan, took issue with the half-time interviewing, feeling that it was unnecessary and the player should have been with his teammates in the dressing room instead.

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"ffs… who’s signed this off bet they’ve never wore a pair of football boots," Whelan posted on X.

You can watch Odegaard's half-time interview here. Arsenal went on to win the game 1-0 thanks to Riccardo Calafiori's first-half goal.

Read more: Player Ratings As Arsenal Beat Man United At Old Trafford In Premier League Opener.

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