When Arsenal signed Martin Odegaard in the last transfer window, there was some confusion about how Mikel Arteta would integrate him, especially as Emile Smith Rowe has been in fine form.
After the Norwegian got a few minutes in his first two games, Arteta handed him a start against Leeds United.
Interestingly, he didn’t need to sacrifice Smith Rowe and he even added Dani Ceballos in an exciting midfield combination.
This combo resulted in a hat trick for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with the middlemen impressing.
Mail Sports’ Sam Blitz reckons that Arsene Wenger will be delighted wherever he was watching the game because it reminds us all of his great Arsenal sides that had a midfield packed with quality attacking players.
Some Arsenal teams included Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla in the same lineup and a combination of Cesc Fabregas, Alexander Hleb and Tomas Rosicky in another setup.
Blitz writes: “Wherever Arsene Wenger was watching Arsenal’s 4-2 win over Leeds, there must have been a huge grin on his face when he saw the line-up.
“Mikel Arteta selected Dani Ceballos, Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard in a very attacking midfield that showed flair and forward intent as the Gunners raced into a 3-0 half-time lead.
“The use of several attacking midfielders is reminiscent of the team selections Wenger used to make when he was the boss in north London.
“The Gunners’ best teams of the Emirates era included the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla in the same team. Go further back and Cesc Fabregas, Alexander Hleb and Tomas Rosicky all featured together.
“With Emmanuel Adebayor, Robin van Persie and Alexis Sanchez all historically benefiting from this attacking midfield set-up, there’s no surprise that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ended up with a hat-trick on Sunday.
“Long-term, Arteta is trying to take the Gunners into a new era – but it’s a nod to the past that is helping them boost confidence in the short-term.”