Arsenal legend Ian Wright has singled out Martin Odegaard for praise after his superb performance for the Gunners against Tottenham in yesterday’s North London Derby.
The Norway international spent the second half of last season on loan at the Emirates Stadium, but it looked like he wouldn’t be making his stay permanent as he ended up back at parent club Real Madrid for pre-season.
Eventually, however, Odegaard did complete a permanent transfer to Arsenal and it looks like that was the right move as he showed his class and quality in yesterday’s big match against rivals Spurs.
Wright was clearly impressed with Odegaard’s influence, saying the 22-year-old gives the team something that they didn’t have before.
“He picks up brilliant positions and he just controls the tempo of the game, constantly getting himself in the box,” Wright said after the North London Derby, as quoted by the Metro.
“We saw him score the free kick against Burnley, but he remains calm when he’s on the ball in key positions, it’s something we didn’t do when he wasn’t around.
“We weren’t able to hold the ball in these areas, win the ball in these areas and then have the composure from a midfielder who doesn’t give the ball away.
“He’s very calm, he’s very composed. It’s the quality now it’s more than just hoping to play the ball to Kieran Tierney.
“We can keep the ball in areas where we can actually hurt teams. He’s the kind of midfielder that is going to be invaluable to us.”
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Arsenal fans will surely share Wright’s enthusiasm, with Mikel Arteta’s side previously lacking that link between midfield and attack, with Mesut Ozil proving a difficult player to replace.
In Odegaard, however, it looks like AFC finally have a new playmaker they can build around.