Gary Neville says £30m Arsenal star was vital vs West Ham despite fans questioning him all season

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Gary Neville believes Martin Odegaard was ‘very important’ during Arsenal’s 1-0 win over West Ham United, given his composure.

Mikel Arteta’s team took a huge step towards securing their first Premier League title in 22 years as they won away at West Ham.

🤔 Who starts the Champions League final in the number 10: Eberechi Eze or Martin Odegaard?

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Leandro Trossard’s strike in the 83rd minute proved to be the decisive moment, with VAR controversially disallowing Callum Wilson’s stoppage-time equaliser.

But despite the Belgian being the match-winner, Neville highlighted Odegaard as one of the players who changed the game for the Gunners.

Gary Neville lauds Martin Odegaard’s composure vs West Ham

Gary Neville has hailed the composure of Martin Odegaard during Arsenal’s 1-0 win over West Ham United.

The game just seemed to be getting away from the Gunners in the second half, with David Raya pulling out a sensational stop to deny Mateus Fernandes from close range.

So when Arsenal needed a calm head and someone who could slow the game down, Odegaard proved to be that player.

Neville told Sky Sports: “I have to say, Odegaard, when he came on, was very important because when everything around you is really fast, and it feels like there is a fire burning you, you need someone cold, and I thought Odegaard actually provided some real composure in the last 15 minutes.

“I thought it was really important, just someone who makes the game slower, who just gets control of it, who plays that final pass with the right pace to the right angle to the right foot, and he did it perfectly.”

All season long, Arsenal fans have criticised Odegaard, so it was certainly a massive moment for him to set up Trossard’s winning goal.

The £30m player has had a tricky campaign on a personal level and struggled to hit the heights so many know he is capable of reaching.

Hopefully, after his game-winning assist away at West Ham, that can be the moment to ignite his season for the final few matches.