As Arsenal fought back to beat Wolves 2-1 in their bid to finish in the top four, one young man was once again central to The Gunners’ success. Indeed, the embodiment of a revitalised Arsenal is none other than the talented Martin Ødegaard.
Having burst onto the footballing scene as a teenage prodigy, the world began to forget about the young Norwegian. Stuck in limbo between Real Madrid and various loan moves, for quite some time it looked as if Ødegaard may never hit the heights imagined for him. Even in his loan spell at Arsenal last season there remained some doubts. Despite the obvious highs, such as his goal against Tottenham Hotspur or his star turn away to West Ham, his time was muddied by injury and a few unremarkable performances. This season however, Ødegaard looks a man reborn.
When you watch Martin Ødegaard live, the most striking thing may be the intensity with which he plays his game. Moments before the game commences you see him skipping from player to player offering a high five or pat on the back. Once it starts, he’s off like the clappers. Ødegaard leads Arsenal’s press from the front, harrying defenders in an attempt to get his foot on the ball. Most impressively, this lasts a whole 90 minutes. For a player so technically gifted, Ødegaard deserves credit for his remarkable fitness.
Speaking of his technical gifts, it has been a privilege watching Ødegaard grow from game to game in confidence. Early in the season, Ødegaard may have been guilty of lacking some incisiveness with his passing. Often he would hesitate to slip a ball between the lines, instead opting to play it horizontally to Thomas Partey or Granit Xhaka. Lately, Ødegaard has been passing with the same aggression with which he presses. Against Brentford and Wolves he was always looking forwards, trying to thread in Alexandre Lacazette or Bukayo Saka.
It is also with Saka that a wonderful chemistry has started to blossom. Last season there were some doubts amongst Arsenal fans about the two being able to play together, doubts which have been firmly allayed this season. Recently, Ødegaard has grown more comfortable with drifting out wide and interchanging with or overlapping Saka. The two are now playing with an evident understanding of each other, the result being a heightened attacking threat for Arsenal.
With all this talk of aggression, it should not however, be overlooked the intelligence and patience with which Ødegaard conducts the game. In the build up to the winner against Wolves, Ødegaard took an extra touch and played in Lacazette rather than forcing the ball to Nicolas Pepe. The result was that the attack had extra room to breathe and ended in a goal. Over the recent games, Ødegaard seems to have been flexing a strong sense of when to slow down and when to speed up. An example that springs to mind came against Brentford when he started to take on their defenders, slowing down to draw them in before either shimmying past or laying the ball off.
In essence, Martin Ødegaard is playing like the ideal modern Number 10. In possession he demands the ball to his feet, and out of it he demands it back. The result of this is the feel that this is becoming his team. Everything now goes through Ødegaard, Arsenal’s game appears to hinge on his involvement. Very quickly he has become the technical leader of the team.
The topic of leadership is also an interesting one with Ødegaard. As I said, his role as hype man is evident, as is the passion with which he celebrates any goal. For such a young man it seems from the outside looking in that Ødegaard relishes responsibility. The way that Mikel Arteta and his teammates speak of him is certainly as a leader. With the club captaincy up in the air, it would not surprise me to see it fall to the Norwegian.
In a time where his career seemed to be in flux, Arsenal have offered Martin Ødegaard the certainty and environment he has needed all along. The player himself has spoken about his desire for a settled career, and the five year deal he has at Arsenal seems to be indicative of how he views life in North London. As Arsenal desperately push to get back into the Champions League, Martin Ødegaard may just hold the keys to the kingdom.
