Any doubts whether or not a tender Martin Odegaard may shoulder the duty of the captain’s armband for Arsenal having been erased in part a season after he guided them to the highest of the Premier League with a seven-point lead.
Odegaard, who became 24 closing month, has been Arsenal’s maximum influential participant this season, oozing self belief in midfield and fueling the membership’s first actual identify problem in years.
He leads the membership’s scoring charts with seven league targets and has 5 assists as well, eclipsing his general tally from the closing marketing campaign in simply 15 video games.
He used to be entrance and heart once more on Saturday as Arsenal prolonged their lead over reigning champions Manchester City with a 4-2 win at Brighton & Hove Albion to finish 2022 on a prime and underline their identify credentials.
The Norwegian scored Arsenal’s 2nd however inspired much more with a jaw-dropping lend a hand from his personal part for the fourth objective: a first-time via ball that carved open the protection and set Gabriel Martinelli on his manner.
“Martin Odegaard knows what he’s doing before this ball comes … A lot of people don’t see that pass, he’s probably the only player on the pitch who sees that,” stated Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson.
“(City’s) Kevin De Bruyne sees it, Odegaard sees it. But I don’t think any other player in the Premier League sees it open up.”
Having first of all signed the midfielder on mortgage from Real Madrid, the 35 million euros ($37.46 million) Arsenal paid to make his transfer everlasting now appears to be like a scouse borrow.
The charge used to be inexpensive than the 42.5 million kilos ($51.40 million) Arsenal paid in 2013 to signal Mesut Ozil from the Spanish membership – the similar workforce the place Odegaard used to be rarely given the chance to ascertain himself.
SHARP EYE
Mikel Arteta’s aspect had lacked a real playmaker since Ozil’s acrimonious go out however Odegaard provides the north London membership a lot more than only a ingenious outlet in midfield with a pointy eye for a go.
The Norway world isn’t averse to shedding deep to assist out the defence, be it through offering an break out direction underneath force from the combatants’ press or through getting his socks grimy in successful the ball again.
“He’s doing what we want him to do, to decide football matches and work really hard and deliver to the team what it needs in each moment of every game, which is different,” Arteta stated.
Odegaard’s transformation has drawn parallels with former membership captain Cesc Fabregas, who used to be tasked with main the aspect on the comfortable age of 21 through ex-manager Arsène Wenger,
“I was desperate to sign him (when he was 15), fortunately, he is here now. He really is like a young Cesc Fabregas,” Wenger advised TV2.
“He has developed into a complete player. He’s a very calm player who analyzes the game well. He has his feet firmly planted on the ground.”
Arsenal have been taking a look to nominate a full-time captain after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang used to be stripped of the armband over a disciplinary breach closing season.
And Arteta had no qualms about handing Odegaard the duty in spite of the presence of extra senior avid gamers.
“He has represented the values of this football club, the team… in the best possible way,” Arteta stated. “He’s also the captain of his national team and I think it was the right call.”
Odegaard, who became 24 closing month, has been Arsenal’s maximum influential participant this season, oozing self belief in midfield and fueling the membership’s first actual identify problem in years.
He leads the membership’s scoring charts with seven league targets and has 5 assists as well, eclipsing his general tally from the closing marketing campaign in simply 15 video games.
He used to be entrance and heart once more on Saturday as Arsenal prolonged their lead over reigning champions Manchester City with a 4-2 win at Brighton & Hove Albion to finish 2022 on a prime and underline their identify credentials.
The Norwegian scored Arsenal’s 2nd however inspired much more with a jaw-dropping lend a hand from his personal part for the fourth objective: a first-time via ball that carved open the protection and set Gabriel Martinelli on his manner.
“Martin Odegaard knows what he’s doing before this ball comes … A lot of people don’t see that pass, he’s probably the only player on the pitch who sees that,” stated Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson.
“(City’s) Kevin De Bruyne sees it, Odegaard sees it. But I don’t think any other player in the Premier League sees it open up.”
Having first of all signed the midfielder on mortgage from Real Madrid, the 35 million euros ($37.46 million) Arsenal paid to make his transfer everlasting now appears to be like a scouse borrow.
The charge used to be inexpensive than the 42.5 million kilos ($51.40 million) Arsenal paid in 2013 to signal Mesut Ozil from the Spanish membership – the similar workforce the place Odegaard used to be rarely given the chance to ascertain himself.
SHARP EYE
Mikel Arteta’s aspect had lacked a real playmaker since Ozil’s acrimonious go out however Odegaard provides the north London membership a lot more than only a ingenious outlet in midfield with a pointy eye for a go.
The Norway world isn’t averse to shedding deep to assist out the defence, be it through offering an break out direction underneath force from the combatants’ press or through getting his socks grimy in successful the ball again.
“He’s doing what we want him to do, to decide football matches and work really hard and deliver to the team what it needs in each moment of every game, which is different,” Arteta stated.
Odegaard’s transformation has drawn parallels with former membership captain Cesc Fabregas, who used to be tasked with main the aspect on the comfortable age of 21 through ex-manager Arsène Wenger,
“I was desperate to sign him (when he was 15), fortunately, he is here now. He really is like a young Cesc Fabregas,” Wenger advised TV2.
“He has developed into a complete player. He’s a very calm player who analyzes the game well. He has his feet firmly planted on the ground.”
Arsenal have been taking a look to nominate a full-time captain after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang used to be stripped of the armband over a disciplinary breach closing season.
And Arteta had no qualms about handing Odegaard the duty in spite of the presence of extra senior avid gamers.
“He has represented the values of this football club, the team… in the best possible way,” Arteta stated. “He’s also the captain of his national team and I think it was the right call.”
