Garth Crooks has heaped praise onto Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard after his performance against Southampton earned him a place in the pundit’s Premier League team of the week.
The Norway international may not have had his best game for the Gunners, but he still showed real fight and leadership in a difficult match, as well as the quality to find the back of the net with a superb finish late on at the Emirates Stadium.
It’s fair to say Odegaard has been one of the players of the season in the Premier League, and Crooks singled him out as someone who doesn’t look like letting Mikel Arteta’s side down at the moment, though he isn’t so sure about the rest of the team.
“It’s just as well Arsenal have Martin Odegaard in their ranks. The Norway international possesses great leadership skills and a cool head to match. His calm and calculated one-two on the edge of the box with Ben White prior to his superb finish said loud and clear that Odegaard is one man Arsenal can certainly count on in the final stages of the season. I’m not entirely sure about the rest,” Crooks wrote in his BBC Sport column.
Arsenal have certainly had a major wobble in recent games, losing two-goal leads to draw 2-2 against both Liverpool and West Ham, before needing a late comeback of their own to save a point in the 3-3 draw against Southampton on Friday.
Odegaard doesn’t seem to have given up, but it’s clear that many of these players need to raise their game if they are to have any hope of winning the title.