Arsenal star Martin Odegaard leads Europe for remarkable statistic after West Ham win

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Arsenal club captain Martin Odegaard is now leading the way across all major European leagues in one key statistic.

Martin Odegaard was the first player in any of Europe’s top five leagues to reach one milestone this season, as he played his part in West Ham United’s 6-0 demolition at the hands of Arsenal.

The Norwegian playmaker was in inspired form at the London Stadium. Whilst Bukayo Saka will grab plenty of headlines for the personal milestone he reached, and Declan Rice caught the attention of Arsenal fans for the manner in which he came back to haunt his former club, Odegaard’s influence on the match should not be forgotten.

The 25-year-old orchestrated this thrashing of the Hammers. He pulled all the strings in the final third, cutting through the hosts’ defence seemingly at will.

Odegaard picked up two assists on Sunday, as he set up goals for both Saka and Leandro Trossard. This took his tally of assists for this season so far to six.

As per WhoScored statistics, the former Real Madrid man played seven key passes against West Ham, by far more than any other player on the pitch. In total this season, in the Premier League alone, Odegaard has played 61 key passes in his 21 outings in the competition so far. 

Now, according to TNT Sports, Odegaard is the first player in all of Europe’s top five leagues this season to have created more than 50 chances from open play.

Arsenal wastefulness is letting Martin Odegaard down

This statistic demonstrates two things. First, that the 55-cap Norway international is a supreme creator who is important to this Arsenal team to a level that can scarcely be overstated. Secondly, it also highlights just how wasteful Mikel Arteta’s side have been this season. The fact that Odegaard has racked up just six assists as a reward for creating that many chances tells a story of profligacy and inefficiency.

Whilst there were no signs of wastefulness yesterday, as Arsenal beat West Ham United by a record margin, it has certainly been the case at times this season that the Gunners’ inability to reliably find the back of the net has harmed their cause.

Iconic former striker Ian Wright stated that Arsenal need a “killer” earlier this season. He was right, and Odegaard’s creative talents deserve an elite-level finisher to match them. If the Gunners can source such a player, there is no telling what they might be able to achieve.