Forget Anfield, Arsenal star Martin Odegaard believes another Premier League stadium is the best in the country

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Arsenal have played in some fierce atmospheres this season in the Premier League.

The English top flight boasts an array of iconic stadiums that Mikel Arteta’s team often struggle in, with the ferociousness of the environment created by the home fans within them making them difficult places to play.

The Gunners struggle at Anfield, while Stamford Bridge, Old Trafford and Goodison Park have notoriously not been happy stomping grounds for the North Londoners.

However, Arsenal’s captain Martin Odegaard believes a different stadium is more intimidating and difficult to play in.

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Martin Odegaard says St. James’ Park is the best stadium in the Premier League

Arsenal beat Real Madrid 3-0 on Tuesday night, in a match that showed how a stadium’s atmosphere can impact the state of affairs on the pitch.

The Emirates was the Gunners’ 12th man, with the noise the home crowd were able to generate helping to blow Los Blancos away.

This 12th-man impact has gone against Arsenal on numerous occasions, none more so than at St. James’ Park against Newcastle United.

Asked to name the best stadium in the country, comparing the Magpies’ ground to Anfield, the Etihad and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Odegaard cited St. James’.

“I think the one that sticks out for me is Newcastle and St. James’ Park, to be honest,” he told Sky Sports.

“I’ve always felt like, you go there and it’s a really tough place to go. Obviously, the way they play as well, really physical and a strong team, so it’s always really hard to play them.

“I think the stadium and the fans are properly on it. So yeah, I’m going to go for that one.”

Arsenal’s record at St. James’ Park

Arsenal lost 1-0 at Newcastle in the league in November, before following that up with another defeat to the north-east outfit on Tyneside in February in the League Cup.

Generally, at least in recent seasons, the Gunners haven’t fared well when travelling to St James’ Park.

Winning just 42% of their matches at the ground since the beginning of the Premier League era in 1992, four of their ten defeats have come in the last three years, losing just six in the previous 20.

Arsenal have only won four consecutive games at St. James Park once since 1992, between 2012 and 2016, with this run coming as part of their longest unbeaten run at the venue – a ten-match streak between 2006 and 2016.