da spicy bet： Mikel Arteta has explained why he subbed off captain Martin Odegaard in the latter stages of Arsenal's 2-0 loss to Aston Villa.

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Arteta explained Odegaard substitutionWent down 2-0 against Aston VillaTwo points behind Manchester City nowWHAT HAPPENED?

Arteta replaced captain Martin Odegaard with Emile Smith Rowe in the 79th minute and five minutes later, Arsenal conceded the first goal as Leon Bailey found the back of the net. Ollie Watkins then doubled Aston Villa's lead in the 87th minute, sealing an important three points for his side.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

After the disappointing loss, the Gunners boss explained that he was forced to substitute Odegaard as the midfielder suffered a leg injury. He further stated that the team now need to show character and bounce back from the setback if they still want to win the title.

WHAT MIKEL ARTETA SAID

Speaking to right after the match, the Spaniard explained his decision to change Odegaard as he said: "He had a leg issue, that's why [he was taken off]."

In the post-match press conference, Arteta added: "We can't control [Manchester City]. What we can control is that when we have the run we had when you win, win, win, win, it's easy. The moment is now. After this blow, it's how we react.

"We have the best opportunity to react against Bayern Munich on Wednesday. The team has to show it. If you want to win, you have to overcome these situations. With the games we had, this was going to happen. It is now about how we react. This is in our control."

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

The north London side will now aim to register a win over Bayern Munich on Wednesday in the second leg of their Champions quarter-final fixture at Allianz Arena to book a berth in the last-four stage, with the aggregate scoreline locked at 2-2 after the first leg.