Arteta lavishes praise on Odegaard, “his work rate is incredible”

Things have gone from good to great in the space of a week for young Martin Odegaard. The 22-year-old scored his first goal for Arsenal against Olympiacos on Thursday, was then named Norway national team captain on Friday, and scored the equalizer in the North London Derby to record his first goal in the Premier League on Sunday. Confidence is high and Odegaard’s performances are reaping the benefits.

After the 2-1 victory over Spurs on the weekend, Arteta once again came out in the post-match press conference to single out the Real Madrid loanee. “His work-rate is incredible. Not only that, he’s intelligent. The timing of his runs, when he presses, his body shape. I’m really impressed and he had an incredible performance today. He’s giving us something different and it’s making us better.”

If Odegaard continues to perform at such a high level, there is little doubt that Arsenal and Arteta will request his services on a permanent basis. If Real Madrid intend to keep their prized asset, then a prominent role within the team may be the only solution. Whether the club can fulfill that request remains to be seen, but Odegaard is once again proving all his doubters wrong.