Martin Odegaard has proved that Arsenal got a real bargain when he arrived from Real Madrid

What a season Martin Odegaard is having!

Since he broke onto the scene, this has definitely been his most productive season. He has 15 goals and 7 assists in the PL title race. Odegaard is slowly turning out to be the best playmaker in the PL and is catching up with the likes of De Bruyne in his influence on the team.

The other day, we asked why he is criminally underrated. The Arsenal skipper’s contributions this season are one of the reasons for Arsenal’s brilliant campaign. Arsenal has been so good that some of us believe they deserve to clinch the PL title, but of course Arsenal’s title chances depend on City dropping six points and that is looking nigh on impossible at the moment.

Anyway, back to Odegaard’s brilliance: what do you think is influencing the productive campaign he’s having? He admits that his extra shooting practise has started paying off, saying on Arsenal.com:

“It’s true I’ve been practising my finishing for a long time, so it’s good to see the work I’m putting in paying off in the matches. I think scoring goals should be part of my game anyway”.

But he also admits that scoring is not the only way to make the team better: “Everyone wants to score goals, but, as I’ve said many times, the main thing is to help the team. If that’s by scoring goals, then that’s great, but to assist and create chances is also good for the team.”

Odegaard playing alongside Xhaka as Arteta’s double No. 8 has made Arsenal’s attack more dangerous this season, considering the ease with which they create chances.

Remembering he was bought for only £30 million should undoubtedly blow our minds out.

Daniel O


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21 Comments

  1. Goes missing far to often when the going gets tuff ,lacks pace ,physicality and a winning mentality ,maybe that’s why Arteta likes him ,reminds him of himself .
    Not for me and we will get found out next season especially in the CL .

    1. A ridiculous opinion for a player who has been, along with KdB, THE TWO STAND OUT CREATIVE MIDFIELDERS IN THE PREM this season.

      You are impossible to please in my view. OR EVEN TO SATISFY AND YOU ARE EXTREMELY UNFAIR.

      1. I’m afraid this should be expected. Typical of those firmly wedded to a negative mindset and any opportunity to denigrate players they have issues with.

        1. Well he must have meant the other MO10, who scored 1 goal and 2 assists in 18 games and pocketed 18M salary a year. Wake up mate, we are in 2023 and the player in discussion is Martin Odegard and has scored 11 goals and 7 assists in 36 games. Martin’s wages are 4M/yr and other other fella’s wages were 18M/yr. Martin’s transfer fee was 30M while the other fella’s was 42.5M 10 years back – so now you know who got mugged by RM and who is the real”professor of economics” and who was the “professor on con-nomics or con-gimmicks”

    2. I tend to agree with your view of Odegaard, based on his performance against Brighton and our three city games, but his performance against Newcastle was tremendous, along with the “lesser clubs” where he always turns up.
      He has scored some great goals this season and he has improved dramatically compared to last season, but I don’t believe he has shown the CONSISTENCY that Dennis Bergkamp always had.

      I don’t agree with your comparison regarding Arteta either DK – I would compare him with Bergkamp and,, of course, there is NO comparison.

    3. Yes DK, Odergaard was an excellent signing but he seems to be a flat track bullly and does go missing in big games. He is brilliant in bread and butter games but needs to step up greatly.

  2. Have seen him gone missing but he is on the improve, expect him to be join by atleast two high quality midfielders one to help with the dirty work.

    The gaffer has to at some stage sign physical players like Onana, Tapsoba , the Citizens are a technical side but they can mix it up as both top teams Liverpool and the Citizens bully us when they deemed it necessary.

  3. A very good return on our 30M investment. The same applies to our investment in Gabriel Jesus.
    We are on a good trend. That’s why I believe paying 100M for ordinary Rice just ain’t gonna happen. Pipe dream only.

  4. 22 goal contributions is a great return from that position, you’ll need to look very far to find many that can top him, certainly not many in the PL history books. His total game is ever-improving and he’ll probably need silverware to get the full recognition that he wholeheartedly deserves

    1. Martin Odegaard’s age and number of games played in the EPL have to be considered in addition to his 22 goal contribution this season. It is interesting to consider Odegaard’s performances when teamed in midfield with inform Partey and Xhaka.
      One would expect that next season, associated with an upgraded strengthened midfield Odegaard will be better still.
      What would Odegaard’s transfer value be now after this sesson’s performances?

  5. His productivity and high-press intensity alone have made him worth the money. Although I agree with some people here that he lacks pace and tends to go missing when he gets bullied, which was similar to Ozil and our other AMs

    I think the flat-track bullies wouldn’t have focused on him if we had someone else to do duels in our front-line. Jesus and Saka have been doing it, but they also struggle to win and keep the ball if they play against bigger/ pacier opponents

  6. Odegaard is a good footballer but not to the level he is said to be. Biggest issue like Ozil is he doesn’t dominate big games. All the big games he has gone missing. There is a reason why Real sold him just like City sold us Jesus. They were replaced by much better players at a cheaper price. In the context of their former teams they have improved by replacing them. Him and Xhaka are good but as long as they don’t dominate big games we will always fall short to win titles.

    1. Simba, please inform us of who Real Madrid replaced Martin Odegaard with?
      Odegaard’s issue at Real Madrid was that he couldn’t break into one of, if not the strongest midfield in Europe. Real Madrid, at his request sold him to give him first team football, but away from La Liga.

  7. Odegaard is a good player and has improved this season. However, there are limitations to his style that makes him unsuitable for certain matches and tactics. He is weak physically, sometimes slow in decision making (not as bad as Zinchenko and Partey in this regard though) and he is unidirectional. The latter actually separates him from the elite midfielders in the game. Put players like De Bruyne, Modric, etc, on any side of the midfield— left, right or centre —and they will still deliver, but Odegaard seem to only operate from the right side (because of his very weak right foot) and this has limited the manager’s options. Also, he doesn’t engage in physical duels, doesn’t get dirty and apparently doesn’t like to get roughened up. These are situations a CM, which is the position he plays, cannot avoid. If Arteta signs Caicedo and a very good box to box midfielder and keeps Partey and then remove his obvious favoritism and rotates players, Odegaard will sit out many games next season, not because he won’t be a good player but because his weakness will be so apparent. We might not play more beautifully but we will be more secured and assured especially in champions league and against tough oppositions. Let’s all look and the title and Champions league winning teams in Europe in the last few years, there is a reason they don’t have a player with Odegaard’s style as guaranteed starter. Madrid, Bayern, Man City, Liverpool, even PSG. I am not hating, and I really love all our players because I want us to do well but this is my honest observation and opinion, and I could be very wrong.

  8. The big difference between De Bruyne and Odergaard, De Bruyne steps up when it matters in big games, he grows in authority.

  9. First off all MØ was bought for 35M(40M euros) with adds on which could bring the fee to 40M. A bargain I don’t know but a good buy, definitely! having said that,with the money received RM brought Eduardo Cavaminga for just under 28M and on a long term contract. now that’s what I call a bargain !!

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