Jeff Stelling says £30m Arsenal player has been nowhere near as good this season

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Arsenal are in a great position in the Premier League this season, but it does feel as though something is missing.

Indeed, last season, the Gunners were blowing teams away with their fast, exciting and attacking football, but this term, they’ve really been grinding results out.

Six of Arsenal’s eleven wins this season have been by just one goal, and they haven’t been as convincing in an attacking sense this term.

Speaking on The Game Football Podcast, Jeff Stelling has been discussing Arsenal’s performances this term, and he says that Martin Odegaard hasn’t been as good this season.

Odegaard hasn’t hit the heights

Stelling shared his verdict on the £30m man.

“They haven’t quite been at the level of last season, not in the early part of last season. They lost a couple of games narrowly and have ground out results. I just don’t think they’ve hit the heights. Odegaard has certainly not hit the heights of last season where I thought he was absolutely wonderful, and you could point the finger at one or two others in that respect,” Stelling said.

Difficult

It’s always so difficult to put two incredible seasons together back to back.

Odegaard was arguably the best midfielder in the country last term, but, this season, he’s been targeted more and more by opposition defences, and he’s not had the space to weave his magic.

The player himself is just as good as he ever has been, but the way he’s being allowed to play is different.

He’s not getting as much space or time on the ball, and that means he’s not been able to unlock defences in the same way he could this time last year.

Odegaard is still a fantastic player, but teams are starting to figure out how to stop him.