Arsenal’s victory against Liverpool, going through a state of disturbing indefiniteness, confirmed the competitiveness of the Arteta team and the creative vein of Martin Odegaard. At 23 years old, the Norwegian player has clearly changed the perception that people had about him after his blurry time at Real Madrid. Precisely against Klopp’s Liverpool, the coach who wanted to take him to Dortmund when Norway was still in a “crazy signing” as so many big clubs were involved, with Madrid’s final success, Odegaard unleashed all the virtues that have made him assume leadership of Arsenal. Mental agility, good positioning and exquisite technique in his deliveries endorse a player who is building an exultant future.
Odegaard has many qualities. He controls the situation, has an excellent vision of the game and knows when to reach offensive zones to break away from the surveillance of the rivals. Against Liverpool, as in almost all games this season, he seduced by his decisive presence in the three-quarter zone. The ball did not reach him many times, he made only 22 passes with 77% accuracy, but his appearances sparked Arsenal’s imagination. The sample button was the play of the first goal gunner. Odegaard burst into the mid lane opportunely and then watched Martinelli arrive down the left flank. The quality of his left leg did the rest with a perfect assist.
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Odegaard is a born generator. Since he has been in the Premier League he has already created 109 scoring chances for Arsenal and this season he is the player who contributes the most to the quality of his assists. The value of expected assists —an indicator that assigns the probability of a goal given to a pass that ends in a shot— is the highest of Arteta’s team, with 0.24 every 90 minutes. With everything, Odegaard is not measured by ‘big data’, but by the intelligence and progression of his game. His impact affects everyone.
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Adding to Odegaard’s prowess in this Arsenal are the good companies he has around him. His back is covered with Thomas and Xhaka, although the Norwegian also stands out for his hard-working spirit without the ball. He does not shy away from any task. But his main allies are on the wings and up front. Odegaard’s football dovetails with the explosiveness of Saka and Martinelli on the flanks and the continued mobility of Gabriel Jesus up front. It helps the former Madrid player to sharpen his deliveries, always give them an advantage and take advantage of the attraction that the three attackers generate on their opponents. Hence, it is not strange that Odegaard appears in the area when Gabriel Jesus leaves, for example, from it. They all complement each other.
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The freedom with which Odegaard moves indoors gives Arsenal a player who connects all their attacking pieces. When Saka and Martinelli face possible overflow situations on the wing, he steps in to offer a passing lane and be the final driver of the game. Since he has everything in his head, he hardly needs to look to see what is happening on the liberated side. Against Liverpool there were several situations of this type, which facilitated scoring chances for the same wingers or Xhaka.
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Without being his roundest performance, Odegaard starred against Liverpool in another match of enormous brilliance and his decision-making was always intelligent. He sped up the plays when he touched and slowed them down when he saw fit. His government of the party, at times, was silent, but above all he surrendered to the strength of Saka and Martinelli to launch an Arsenal that goes like a shot. This time with Arteta has served Odegaard to clarify his future as a player and transform the general impression of him after not succeeding at Madrid. It may not be one of those chosen ones, but its horizon is exciting. He is a top level footballer.
