Martin Odegaard delivered a masterful midfield display for Arsenal in the 2-0 win over Olympiakos.
The Norway international returned to action from a shoulder injury to assist Gabriel Magalhaes for his winner against Newcastle within just eight minutes of action, which led Mikel Arteta to start him in the UEFA Champions League clash against the Greek giants.
Arsenal fans proceeded to witness a superb performance from Martin Odegaard – and it immediately resulted in comments about Eberechi Eze.
Arsenal fans claim the signing of Eberechi Eze has “awakened” Martin Odegaard
Odegaard faced criticism at the start of the season – mainly for a lack of conviction with his forward passes – and then saw a midfield competitor arrive when £68m was spent to sign Eze.
The England international performed well while the Norwegian was injured – scoring his first Arsenal goal in the Carabao Cup win over Port Vale – but fans feel his positive displays have given Odegaard a kick up the backside.
One supporter wrote: “Eze has awakened Odegaard. He really needed that push.”
Another added that Eze has “got Odegaard moving DIFFERENT” since his arrival from Crystal Palace.
A third Arsenal fan commented: “Odegaard playing like his career is under threat from Eze, you love to see it.”
Another opined that Odegaard “knew he had to stop playing around” after seeing how well Eze was performing for the Gunners.
Martin Odegaard reminded Arsenal fans who he is against Olympiakos with silky 78-touch display
It felt quite strange to see Odegaard – who Eze admires – come in for criticism earlier this season, given his obvious talent.
Perhaps the Arsenal No.8 was simply drained or lacking in motivation, but there is no denying that his level has risen since Eze moved to the Emirates Stadium.
As you can see below, Odegaard pulled the strings against Olympiacos, recording four key passes and taking 86 touches of the ball as Viktor Gyokeres in particular benefitted from his vision.
| Category | Statistic |
|---|---|
| Top stats | |
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Total shots | 4 |
| Accurate passes | 54/65 (83%) |
| Chances created | 4 |
| Dribbles | 1/1 |
| Attack | |
| Touches | 86 |
| Accurate crosses | 0/4 |
| Possession lost | 20 |
| Defence | |
| Tackles won | 1 |
| Clearances | 1 |
| Interceptions | 0 |
| Dribbled past | 1 |
| Duels | |
| Ground duels won | 5/9 |
| Aerial duels won | 0/0 |
| Was fouled | 3 |
| Fouls committed | 0 |
The 26-year-old did play like a man keen to make a point, and prove exactly why he wears the armband under Arteta.
It is often said that competition for places breeds success in football, and that has certainly been backed up by Odegaard since Eze became an Arsenal player.
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