Martin Odegaard leading Arsenal revival as captain fantastic thrives in deeper role

Arsenal have rediscovered their spark in attack, and it is no surprise Martin Odegaard is back to his best at the same time.

The Norwegian has looked revitalised since the Gunners returned from their mid-season break to Dubai a month ago.

Arsenal have won all four of their games since then, scoring 16 goals in the process, and Odegaard has been at the heart of the revival.

The midfielder tormented West Ham last week, when Arsenal scored at least five times in a Premier League match for the second time this year. They haven’t done so in three League games in a calendar year since 2018.

Saturday’s match at Burnley is as good a chance as any to do it again against Vincent Kompany’s strugglers.

Burnley are seven points from safety and only Sheffield United, who are bottom, have conceded more goals this season.

Arsenal will be looking for their fifth straight win on Saturday. They trail leaders Liverpool by just two points, but the gap could be five by the time they kick-off at 3pm, given Jurgen Klopp’s side play at Brentford in the day’s early game.

Until now, it has been a challenging season for Arsenal’s attack and, in particular, Odegaard.

A hip injury disrupted the early part of his campaign, while he was also sidelined with concussion in November.

Odegaard has also had to cope with Arsenal’s midfield evolving. Last season, it was a settled trio of himself, Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey.

This year, however, while Declan Rice and Odegaard have been regulars, Arteta has rotated who plays alongside them on the left. In the four games since the winter break, Kai Havertz has started twice, with Emile Smith Rowe and Jorginho getting the nod in the other two matches.

There have naturally been some teething issues and Odegaard’s role has changed. He has been tasked with dropping deeper and his defensive work has increased, so much so he has made 50 per cent more tackles this season compared to last.

The end result has meant that Odegaard’s assists and goals have dropped, but overall the team has benefited from him being more involved in build-up play.

“There are certain games that require certain things from certain players,” Arteta explained, when asked about Odegaard playing deeper.

“We have used Martin to accommodate the needs of the team to make us better against certain behaviours and challenges that the opponents put for us. That’s a big quality of his.

“He also has the defensive part, which I’m really impressed with. I’m really happy with that, because it’s a part of the game that we want to transform and keep evolving.”

Even if his game has expanded to include a deeper role, Odegaard is still an attacking force. Only Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes has created more chances in the Premier League, while Odegaard is top for passes into the penalty area and through-balls.

Since the break, however, Odegaard has struck a balance between dropping deep and influencing the game higher up the pitch. It is paying off, and against West Ham he became the first player since Opta started recording stats in 2003 to complete more than 100 passes, create at least five chances and assist multiple goals in the same Premier League match.

He also became the first player in Europe’s top-five domestic leagues to reach 50 open-play chances this season. Such numbers make it incredible to think Odegaard came in for criticism from fans in the early part of the season.

The Norwegian took it in his stride, though, and he has always been his own harshest critic. It is why he gets on so well with Bukayo Saka, who has the same mindset and sits next to him in the dressing room.

The pair are Arsenal’s best weapon in attack, but it has been harder this season, with teams doubling up on Saka. Since the break, they have begun to find answers. Odegaard and Saka could be finding form at just the right time.