Arsenal produced a disappointing performance against Manchester United on Sunday, despite winning, although there were a few encouraging individual displays.
Spending large periods of the game under the cosh, Mikel Arteta’s side rode out the storm to win 1-0 at Old Trafford.
Riccardo Calafiori’s 13th-minute header gave the Gunners all three points, helping to paper over some of the concerning cracks in the performance.
That said, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes performed admirably for Arsenal, while David Raya earned the Man of the Match award for a couple of sensational saves.
Paul Merson says Martin Odegaard was ‘back to his best’ against Man United
While Saliba, Gabriel and Raya were the standout performers for Arsenal, Martin Odegaard was also impressive in glimpses.
The Gunners’ captain took on the defensive work that Declan Rice had unusually neglected, biting into challenges and winning the ball back regularly to prevent Arteta’s side from being carved through.
He also had moments in possession that reminded the Arsenal faithful of his technical quality.
Feeding Bukayo Saka beautifully with a through ball in the first half, the Norwegian almost repeated this feat with a delightful scooped ball through to the Hale End graduate in the dying embers.
He also elegantly skipped past Bruno Fernandes and unleashed a shot on goal in the first 45 minutes, as well as cheekily nutmegging Casemiro.
While not everyone was fond of what Odegaard produced, Paul Merson waxed lyrical about the player in the aftermath of the encounter.
“Special mention for Martin Odegaard,” Merson wrote for Sky Sports. “I thought he was back to his best.
“There were a couple of times he didn’t have the options on the counter, and he also made a couple of wrong decisions, but he was so much better than last season.
“If he can maintain those levels that is a big plus for Arsenal.”
Martin Odegaard’s statistics vs Man Utd
Arteta wants to change Arsenal’s style of play this season to get the best out of Viktor Gyokeres.
The Spaniard recognises that to maximise the Swede’s best attributes, the Gunners need to feed him directly and quickly in space.
This stylistic change likely explains some of Odegaard’s deficiencies in the United match, such as his sloppiness on the ball.
| Martin Odegaaard’s Statistics vs Man Utd | |
| Minutes Played | 90 |
| Ground Duels Won | 5/8 (62%) |
| Recoveries | 7 |
| Accurate Passes | 31/44 (70%) |
| Key Passes | 1 |
| Touches | 63 |
| Passes into the Final Third | 8 |
| Shots | 2 |
He completed just 70% of his passes at Old Trafford, which is unusual for such an efficient player, but speaks to him trying more direct and adventurous things in possession.
Naturally, a lot of this didn’t come off, but the intention was there, and if he continues to play like this, then Gyokeres should improve as a result.
Winning duels, making recoveries and progressing the ball into the final third, he still managed to do everything required of him on the day.
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