Odegaard is having an impressive start to the 2026-2027 season. After scoring against Chelsea in the Premier League, the Norwegian midfielder continued to score in his away game against Napoli. In all competitions, he has scored 4 goals in 5 appearances.
This is a significant improvement compared to last season, when Odegaard continuously had injury problems and only scored 1 goal for Arsenal.
According to Mikel Arteta, the first important thing is that Odegaard must maintain good physical condition to be able to play regularly. When he reaches the necessary physical foundation, this midfielder can promote his sharpness and create greater influence in Arsenal's tactical system.
First of all, he needs to be ready to play. Last season he missed too many matches due to injury. He possesses sharpness and new connections from his teammates around him, which makes a big difference," Arteta shared.
The Spanish coach also said that Odegaard is currently allowed to operate in many positions and heights on the pitch, especially when Arsenal organizes attacks. This flexibility gives the "Gunners" captain more space to exploit.
Statistics show that the number of times Odegaard touches the ball in the opponent's penalty area has increased from 2.5 times per 90 minutes last season to 4.3 times this season. Connection with new teammates also helps the 27-year-old midfielder have more opportunities to approach the goal.
Christos Tzolis is one of the notable links. The Arsenal newcomer has had 4 assists since the beginning of the season, including 3 chances for Odegaard to score.
In the match at Diego Armando Maradona's stadium, Arsenal launched up to 26 shots and created an expected goal score (xG) of up to 4.05. Although only winning with a minimal score difference, Arsenal's performance showed that Arteta's team created significant pressure against Napoli.
We have more players who move the ball better than before. When that happens, Martin needs to choose different heights, angles and positions to disrupt the opponent, and he has done it excellently," Arteta said.
Arsenal coach appreciates Odegaard's ability to make a difference and expects the captain to continue to maintain confidence in the coming time.
That's what we need: players with the mindset of deciding the match and playing football with great personality. Martin is feeling the belief that the ball will go into the net, and he scored an extraordinary goal tonight," Arteta emphasized.
After the victory against Napoli, Arsenal will return to the Premier League with an away match at Sunderland's stadium at 2:00 AM on September 13.
