Mikel Arteta demands that Arsenal stars follow one example Martin Odegaard just set vs Crystal Palace

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Arsenal secured passage to the semi-final of the EFL Cup with a 3-2 win over Crystal Palace on Wednesday evening. 

Gabriel Jesus was the hero of the night for Arsenal, as the Brazilian striker bagged a second-half hat-trick to send the Gunners through to the next round. 

Arsenal fans have hailed Jesus for his performance, and he will deservedly hog the headlines in the wake of this fixture. Given his long-standing struggles in front of goal prior to this game, this was a surprising and welcome turnaround in his fortunes. 

Mikel Arteta will be hoping that Jesus can kick on from here, but also took a moment to mention Martin Odegaard’s contribution to the match.

• READ MORE: A timeline of every Arsenal captain during the Premier League era from Tony Adams to Martin Odegaard

Mikel Arteta hails Martin Odegaard impact vs Crystal Palace

Odegaard was not introduced to the fray at the Emirates Stadium until the teams came out for the second half, at which point the North Londoners were 1-0 down.

However, the Norwegian playmaker was able to come off the bench and make a huge impact, as he provided the assist for two of Jesus’ goals.

Although Odegaard is usually a nailed on starter, Arsenal need players who can change a game from the bench. Arteta now wants Odegaard’s teammates to follow the example that the club captain just set as a substitute.

As quoted by Football.London after the final whistle, the Spanish coach said: “Good response. That’s what we want from all of them. That elevates the level and helps to respond to the team.”

The Arsenal stars who must follow Odegaard example

Despite his hat-trick heroics in this cup tie, Jesus is unlikely to immediately become the Gunners’ first choice striker ahead of Kai Havertz. Instead, the former Manchester City star must now kick on from here, and that may mean proving that he can make an impact from the bench.

Likewise, Raheem Sterling must show progress in this regard too. The Chelsea loanee caught the eye against Crystal Palace, and deserves more opportunities to impress. He must seize those chances as and when they arrive.

In general, the mindset amongst the Arsenal substitute needs to be one of a determination to make a real difference when they are called upon, as Odegaard just did.