Arsenal: Martin Odegaard is not just fulfilling his potential, he’s exceeded

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is having the time of his life.

Arsenal kick-started their return to Premier League football last night against West Ham United and they continued their winning ways. Things looked shaky at the start when the Gunners went a goal down, but Mikel Arteta and his captain Martin Odegaard rallied their troops well to come back 3-1.

The goals came courtesy of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah but of all the players on the pitch, there was one who stood out above the rest and that is the man of the match, Martin Odegaard.

Odegaard was the subject of heavy scrutiny when Arsenal signed him initially on loan, but his performances in North London soon proved to the critics why he was later signed permanently. The Gunners have gone through a captaincy carousel in recent seasons but Odegaard is much, much worthier of wearing the armband than Aubameyang was.

The Norway international plays with an abundance of flair. Last night, he was doing as he often does; with flicks and nutmegs left, right and centre. It was an inspired captain’s performance as he led by example.

Providing two assists, he demonstrated his creativity too. There were countless times when he played passes which were unseen to the naked eye. He has excellent vision and the right range of passing to match.

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Odegaard had a lot of potential when he was a teenager, this was noticed when he made his Real Madrid debut at just 16 years old. But some years and several loan spells later, it appeared he was at a dead end in his career. If you mentioned his name then, it would seem like only FIFA 16 players would recognise his name.

That was until Arsenal came along. Trust from Mikel Arteta now sees him as captain for the best team in England. Currently eight points clear of league rivals Manchester City, the Gunners have the midfielder to thank. You don’t get to a position of dominance like this with an unworthy captain.

Long may it continue.

What did you make of Martin Odegaard’s performance against West Ham United?