Alan Shearer outlines ‘huge’ Arsenal turning point in the season thanks to two key players

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Arsenal may have finally reached a turning point in their season after picking up a huge win over Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.

The Gunners had struggled across all competitions from late October and early November, failing to win in the league and limping along in the Champions League.

That has seen them drop off the pace slightly, though Mikel Arteta will be keen to get the side back on track with a decent run of form.

Arsenal may finally have the chance to do so, with Martin Odegaard’s return from injury helping him and his teammates in more ways than one.

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Alan Shearer praises Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard impact

Both Odegaard and Bukayo Saka combined well several times on the right side against Nottingham Forest, a sign of their brilliant working relationship.

It underlines just how important both players are individually as well as a team, with the victory offering a potential turning point in the season.

Their performances were so impressive that Alan Shearer even mentioned the pair in his Premier League Team of the Week.

Writing for Premier League productions, he said on Odegaard: “A quality midfield display, creating Arsenal’s first goal against Nottingham Forest. His return to fitness is huge for the Gunners.”

While on Saka he added: “Once again he delivered for the Gunners, with a goal and an assist. He combined effortlessly with Odegaard throughout.”

Having both players available, fit and firing, is key to Arsenal in their hopes of winning the title as well as their chances in Europe and domestic cup competitions.

Saka and Odegaard’s impact can be shown in glimpses within the numbers, but the reality often speaks beyond them.

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Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard stats

Both Saka and Odegaard are on the verge of world-class numbers at Arsenal on their own, let alone when they combine.

The pair are well on their way to securing an impressive status at the Emirates Stadium with just their goal and assist numbers.

Even more important than their output, the duo make everyone else around them better as a result of their performances.

Take the Nottingham Forest game for example, Odegaard’s underlapping run of Saka created space for Thomas Partey to shoot and score from.

While an assist will be against the winger’s name, the midfielder played just as key a role in making that goal happen.

Arsenal have missed that in recent months and the return could be a huge turning point in the season.