Arsenal midfielder Christian Norgaard was in action for Denmark when they disappointingly drew against Belarus.
Norgaard is one of several Arsenal players involved in the November international break, battling former Gunner Kieran Tierney in Group C of the World Cup Qualifiers.
Scotland are just one point behind Denmark, who currently lead the group; however, both sides were dealt reality checks on their return to international action.
While the second-place Scots drew with Greece, Norgaard’s Denmark drew against Belarus, giving them their first point of the qualifiers.
Understandably, the Danes weren’t satisfied with the result, with Norgaard being one player to speak to the media after the 2-2 draw.
Photo by Kristian Tuxen Ladegaard Berg/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesChristian Norgaard reacts to Denmark’s draw against Belarus
Norgaard is recognised as a leader in the national team, which is unsurprising, having been Brentford’s captain prior to joining Arsenal in the summer.
With leadership roles come media duties, and it’s fair to say that the Arsenal midfielder was incredibly honest in his latest review of Denmark’s performance levels.
After Denmark conceded two goals in three minutes against Belarus, Norgaard questioned the mentality of those on the pitch, including himself.
“In those minutes, something happened inside our heads that made us think too much about things,” he said, as transcribed by B.T.
Christian Norgaard vs Belarus – Sofascore figures.
What came next was more transparent, as the 31-year-old raised that perhaps the squad were ‘afraid’ during the contest.
“We were maybe afraid of what we could lose, and then everything had a negative effect. Instead of it being about what we could win, it became about what we could lose, and it’s difficult to play football like that.”
Norgaard added, “We have to do everything we can to not get hung up in this game. I think if we go into Tuesday with the feeling we have right now, we’re going to have a really hard time.”
It was a brutally honest yet mildly pessimistic review from Norgaard, one that, while being truthful, might unsettle Mikel Arteta back in North London.
Mikel Arteta won’t like what Norgaard said amid Arsenal’s Premier League title fight
The Premier League title race is heating up for Arsenal, with Manchester City narrowing the gap at the top to just four points heading into the international break.
With that in mind, the last thing Arteta will want to hear from his players, regardless of context, is an open admission about fearing defeat so heavily that focus is jeopardised.
Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Given that Arsenal have been chased down by Man City twice in title races, Norgaard’s review of Denmark’s mentality issues during their recent draw might not sit well.
Being afraid of what could be lost is something the Gunners can relate to heavily, most notably in the 2022/23 title race, having led the table for 248 days.
When the midfielder returns, his mindset must switch from his international duty to fighting for the league title with Arsenal, as with major silverware on the line, any cracks in winning mentality won’t cut it.