Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was a happy man after his side beat Brighton and Hove Albion.
The Gunners boss went through all emotions on the touchline during the game as his players went from dominating the clash to holding on in the end.
However, the three points, despite all the injuries, pleased him, and he heaped praise on a few players after the game at the Emirates.
One of them was Martin Odegaard.
Who was your Arsenal Man of the Match after 2-1 win against Brighton?
Mikel Arteta says Martin Odegaard produced his best performance of the season during Arsenal vs Brighton
Odegaard has had a very difficult season at Arsenal.
The Norway international has suffered three different injuries this season, and that severely affected his continuity in the first team.
Odegaard returned to action at the end of November, and since then, he has been working really hard to get back to his best.
On Saturday against Brighton, the former Real Madrid man showed signs of his old self. He scored a lovely goal, created plenty of chances and was brilliant all round.
Mikel Arteta was asked about his captain after the game, and he heaped praise on him.
He told Arsenal.com: “I think he was superb today!
“I think it was probably the best game that he’s had this season. Super active, very positive, very aggressive with the ball. So, very pleased.”
Imagine it’s the Champions League final tomorrow and you could only start one player out of Eberechi Eze and Martin Odegaard. Who are you picking and why?
Martin Odegaard’s stats vs Brighton are so impressive
Arteta is right, Odegaard produced his best display of the season against Brighton.
The Norwegian seemed to have benefited from Declan Rice playing at right-back. That gave him the freedom to play more centrally and even move over to the left when required.
In his 90 minutes on the pitch, Odegaard had 64 touches of the ball and completed 47 of his 55 attempted passes, maintaining a healthy 86 per cent passing accuracy.
The 27-year-old also created five chances for his teammates, but unfortunately, none were converted.
Furthermore, Odegaard recovered the ball five times, which is an excellent return for someone whose main job is to attack. (Sofascore)
It really is a positive sign to see Odegaard returning to his best. If he plays at the same level from now until the end of the season, Arsenal will likely win the Premier League title.
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