How dare Gary Neville question Martin Odegaard's leadership skills! Arsenal's 'exceptional' skipper is still driving title challenge

Gary Neville did just that after the mauling at the Etihad, pointing a finger at the Gunners skipper when discussing what he felt went wrong for Arteta’s side. The Sky Sports pundit said: “I look at Martin Odegaard, fantastic professional. Oleksandr Zinchenko, great professional. But when you actually get to the highest pressurised moments in the biggest matches in the crux of the season, are they leaders then?

"Arsenal’s senior players, Partey, Zinchenko, Odegaard, in the most difficult period, they didn’t impact the rest of their team-mates on the pitch. Odegaard had probably his most difficult game against Manchester City."

Neville’s right, Odegaard did have a difficult game against City. But when you think about what went wrong at the Etihad, it’s surprising that he was one of the players picked out as an issue. Arsenal couldn't get close to their hosts on the night, but that was not down to how their skipper performed.

Questioning Odegaard's leadership abilities was out of line. Odegaard has led Arsenal exceptionally well this season, both away from the pitch and with his performances on it. One quiet performance where he was completely starved of the ball does not change that.

Time and time again he has been the driving force behind Arsenal's surprise title challenge. He is often the man who sets the tone, and his manager knows it. “I don’t read those comments,” Arteta said of the criticism of his captain.

“What I can say is that he’s been exceptional for us. You look at his contribution, every single day in the team and then what he does out there for us every single time, it’s exceptional. 

"The perfect player that plays perfect football every time doesn’t exist. But what Martin has done this season deserves a lot of credit.”

City were incredible in that game at the Etihad and barely let Arsenal out of their half for 90 minutes. Odegaard just didn’t see any of the ball. Had he been given the sort of space Kevin De Bruyne was repeatedly allowed to run into, there’s no doubt he would have been able to influence the game in the same way as the Belgium international.

Arsenal’s front four were passengers against City because Pep Guardiola got his tactics spot on and Mikel Arteta didn’t. The hosts went direct to Erling Haaland, bypassed the press and the Arsenal backline and midfield couldn’t deal with it. That took Odegaard out of the game completely.

But that subdued showing shouldn’t detract from what has been a superb season from the 24-year-old. He may not be your stereotypical captain. He doesn't scream and shout all of the time. But that doesn't mean he doesn’t show leadership qualities. Anyone who has watched Arsenal regularly this season will tell you that he shows them on a regular basis on the pitch.

Odegaard has led by example with his performances all season long. There was the win at Tottenham, when he ran the show in the north London derby and inspired Arsenal to their first three-point haul at the home of their rivals in nine years.

He bagged both goals in the win at Wolves, while he both scored and produced one of the assists of the season in the excellent victory away at Brighton. The list goes on and on.

But what has really stood out this season with Odegaard is his hunger and his drive to lead from the front. No-one presses harder and does more on the pitch to try and get more out of his team-mates. He sets the standard that others must follow.

“The energy that he has, when he hasn’t got the ball, the movement, the quality, the way he is in that dressing room is exceptional,” Arteta said when asked about Odegaard after Tuesday night’s win. "We’re really pleased to have him as captain.”

Odegaard’s tally of 14 Premier League goals this season sees him just one behind Cesc Fabregas’ record of 15 from a midfielder in a single Premier League campaign for the Gunners. Three of Fabregas’ goals in that 2009-10 season came from the penalty spot, however. All of Odegaard's goals have come from open play and eight of them have been away from home as well. 

It’s been a huge upturn in terms of output in the final third from the playmaker. Arteta wanted the Norwegian to be more decisive in front of goal and he has answered those calls. “He needed to have the mentality to win matches, not just to control games. That’s what we had to get out of him,” said the Arsenal boss. “He’s got the talent.

"But he needed to occupy different spaces, become a threat and have the mentality to win matches, not just to control games. I think that’s changed. And when you have someone who is as humble as him and has every single day to push and learn and train, these things happen and I think he is rewarded for his work.”

Odegaard’s hard work has certainly been rewarded this season and it will be a surprise if he does not go on to win Arsenal’s player of the year award. There are other contenders of course, such as Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and William Saliba. But it feels like Odegaard is in pole position to get his hands on the trophy Saka has been able to call his own for the past two seasons.

Obviously, he still has a bigger prize on his mind right now, however, with the Premier League title race still not done and dusted, despite City’s commanding position heading into this weekend’s fixtures. Guardiola’s side are certainly the favourites, but Arsenal showed against Chelsea that they are not ready to wave the white flag just yet.

They still believe they can win the title and in Odegaard they have a captain who looks determined to keep proving his critics wrong. He did that at the Emirates on Tuesday night and he will now have his sights set on doing it again at Newcastle on Sunday afternoon.