Arsenal travel to Goodison Park for the final time on Saturday afternoon to take on Everton.
The Gunners will be looking to build momentum and fitness ahead of Tuesday’s game against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Mikel Arteta’s team beat Fulham 2-1 in midweek, in a match that saw the return of Bukayo Saka after a lengthy injury lay-off, lifting the mood around N5.
However, Gabriel Magalhaes suffered a season-ending injury in the same game, and the Arsenal boss will no doubt now use the clash with the Toffees to find his short-term solution to the Brazilian’s absence.
Mikel Arteta praised Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka’s partnership
Arsenal lost their imperious William Saliba and Gabriel partnership for the rest of the season this week, although they may have rediscovered another.
Saka’s return means the winger’s bond with Odegaard will reappear in Arteta’s side.
The two right-sided players have developed a telepathic relationship on the pitch in recent years, with this combination key to the Gunners unlocking deep defences.
Speaking in his press conference on Friday afternoon, Arteta waxed lyrical about the duo, whilst hinting that they may start together on Merseyside.
“For sure, that chemistry, that bond, that relationship is something very special,” the manager said.
“Obviously, we missed it, they’ve played so many minutes and games together that it flows naturally.
“It flows in the right way, I think the qualities compliment each other really, really well. Martin has been exceptional again, the other day we had to play Ethan, he made an assist, he contributed in his own way.
“So, we have options and hopefully, we’ll have more and more before the end of the season.”
Arsenal’s record with Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka starting together this season
If the two players do indeed both start on Saturday, it’ll be the first time this has happened since the 21st of December, when Saka sustained his hamstring injury.
Odegaard spent two months on the sidelines earlier in the season, meaning the two players have only been named in the same starting eleven 12 times this term.
| Arsenal’s record when Odegaard and Saka have started together 2024/25 (All Competitions) | |
| Matches | 12 |
| Wins | 8 |
| Draws | 4 |
| Losses | 0 |
| Goals For | 30 |
| Goals Against | 7 |
Not losing in these 12 matches, the data above shows just how important this partnership is, not only going forward but also defensively.
The Gunners are better able to retain possession and thus control the game when Odegaard and Saka are operating together on the same side, meaning Arsenal are better able to limit their opponents’ opportunities to break forward.
Meanwhile, the two players combine excellently with dynamic patterns offensively, generating the majority of Arteta’s side’s threat.
Their relationship could reignite Arsenal as a team.
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