Martin Odegaard has been in dazzling form for Arsenal over recent weeks and the Norway international believes the Gunners are “building something special” in an ongoing bid to secure a top-four finish and a return to the Champions League for 2022-23.
Mikel Arteta’s side made light work of a 2-0 win over Leicester in their most recent outing and have now collected five successive victories in the English top flight – and nine in their last 11 stretching back to mid-December.
The north London outfit find themselves in fourth spot as a result – one point clear of Manchester United but boasting games in hand on all of those around them – and Odegaard admits that confidence is soaring.
What has been said?
Odegaard, with five goals and four assists to his name this season, told TV2: “There is clearly something special going on here now. You feel it in the whole club.
“We are building something special. It’s a group of players who like each other, and who enjoy playing football together.”
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He added: “It's fun to play on that team here. We are a group that knows each other well.
“We are getting better and better and the system is getting better and better. It's flowing very well now. It's fun to play.
“We understand each other better, and the team works very well. Then it's easier to look good for me too.”
Is Odegaard the bargain of the season?
Getty ImagesArsenal paid £30 million ($39m) to sign Odegaard on a permanent basis from Real Madrid in the summer of 2021, with a productive loan spell last season showcasing what he is capable of.
That deal now looks like quite the bargain, given the inflated price tags which have become commonplace in modern football, with added creativity being embraced by the Gunners.
Arteta is among those to have been impressed by a 23-year-old fulfilling his potential after bursting onto a senior stage as a precociously-gifted teenager, but the Spaniard is wary of putting too much pressure on an in-form star.
He told Sky Sports when asked if Odegaard looks like being one of the signings of the season: “I don't know, it's still a bit early to say that.
“We were certainly convinced he was a player that could fit in our club, with our morals. He has every value that we want players to represent at this club, and then he has the quality for what we want to do. We are really happy with him.
“He's come a long way since his arrival, he is showing great maturity and responsibility on the pitch and he makes the other players better, I think.”
Arsenal will be back in action on Wednesday when playing host to title-chasing Liverpool.
