Another satisfying afternoon’s work for Arteta’s lean and tight unit against Brentford. The 2-1 scoreline was not fair for a totally dominant and controlled display, and without a myopic referee and the absence of a clinical striker, it could and should have been more. Nonetheless, it was sweet revenge for the bee’s Matchday 1 win over a depleted Gunners side.
As I walked away from a windswept Emirates, despite the continued joy that Saka and Smith-Rowe grabbed the headlines, it was Martin Odegaard’s performance that left the satisfaction lingering. The Norwegian could use his right foot more often and he could certainly shoot rather than pass (you know what situation I’m talking about), but it was ultimately Odegaard who set the tone on Saturday afternoon.
Every top team, often littered with incredible players, will always have an individual who sets the tempo and pace for their team. They may not always be the superstar of the team, but when they are at the top of their game, they will shine the stars. In fairness, though often forgotten, Arteta himself, during his first three seasons as the Gunner, was our tempo-setter. Thus, the Spaniard will understand the need to have at least one player who will always look to maintain his momentum in possession.
For too long, and it does this individual a disservice, that Arsenal player has been Granit Xhaka. The Swiss is a magnificent football passer but even when he is at his best, the tempo won’t be as fast as it needs to threaten the best. Even the greats, as we saw with Man City this weekend, when their tempos like Gundogan and de Bruyne are at 80%, can suffer.
Right now, Odegaard is Arteta’s tempo and is approaching his best when it comes to neat and quick passes and exchanges. His reverse passes, often cleverly disguised, are a joy to behold and often get opposition defenses off on the wrong foot. His on-field relationship with Saka borders on telepathic at times, and his ball retention is invaluable. That’s why I was stunned that Arteta removed his Norwegian playmaker, when 1-0 away to Wolves, when retaining possession of the football was everything.
Odegaard is not a conventional ’10’ frequently on the right, connecting and exchanging space and ball with Saka, but in Arsenal’s setup it is perfect, especially when Smith Rowe, who is not not a conventional winger, can drift on the pitch. I guess that’s why I’m so keen on Arteta trying Martinelli again as a striker, to see if it can work with ESR, Odegaard and Saka behind the Brazilian. For that to work, maybe our blond Viking needs to add more assists and goals, but I think his lack of assist numbers is far from indicative of his value to our creativity.
His detractors, and those are dwindling week by week, will point to those stats, but for me, those will soon follow if he maintains his current levels. Right now the value of Odegaard, and just look at his teammates’ appreciation of him, is that he makes those around him better players, and there’s no bigger compliment than that. Arteta himself has allowed Ramsey to flourish, and our current number 8 is raising the standards of his younger colleagues.
The word I used in my post match tweet about what Odegaard gives the team is fluidity – it keeps us fluid! He has an image in his head, more often than not, of how he wants to use the ball on reception, which is what the best players do. However, if there are no obvious options, he will rarely go scoreless or play a percentage pass. He will keep the ball himself, spinning and spinning, until a pass to ensure Arsenal stay on the front foot becomes available to him. A huge compliment to him, in these attributes, would be to say he is ‘Santesque’.
While exchanging messages with a friend after the match, that person described Odegaard as Arsenal’s de facto captain, which sums it all up to be honest. For so long, Arsenal in the later Wenger and Emery eras were devoid of obvious leaders. Arteta is in the process of building a team that has many and right now our Norwegian player is certainly one of them.
–
This article first appeared in my Sun Fan Football column, and is republished here with permission.
A passionate 50-year-old Arsenal supporter who has made the trip to N5 regularly since the early 1980s – even though his first game dates back to 1976. Always passionate when he talks about Arsenal, Dave decided to send a guest blog at Gunnersphere in the summer of 2011. and has been writing about the Gunners ever since.
He started his own site – 1 Nil Down 2 One Up – in February 2012, which he continued in 2016 to focus on freelance writing and building. city of gunners, which he launched with Paul in 2014.
GT’s aim was to be new and fresh and to give a platform to passionate, like-minded Arsenal fans who wanted to write about their team. Dave, of course, writes for the site himself and advises the ever-growing editorial team.
