Martin Odegaard made his Premier League return for Arsenal against Chelsea on Sunday.
Mikel Arteta will have been delighted to have his captain available for this trip to Stamford Bridge, and the Norwegian was able to make his presence felt in West London as he provided the assist for Gabriel Martinelli’s goal.
Arsenal fans missed Martin Odegaard during his absence, which was certainly keenly felt at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners have endured a poor run of form whilst the 25-year-old has been out of action.
Arsenal icon Martin Keown makes bold Ethan Nwaneri claim
Odegaard is the creative fulcrum of Arteta’s side. Leandro Trossard has failed to effectively replicate his influence for Arsenal lately, and as such the Gunners have all too often looked toothless in the final third whilst the former Real Madrid man has been sidelined.
Odegaard’s injury has highlighted a major transfer mistake Arteta made in the recent summer window, as he allowed both Fabio Vieira and Emile Smith Rowe to leave the Emirates Stadium without effectively replacing them.
This has left a dearth of playmakers in the Arsenal squad beyond Odegaard, and 17-year-old Hale End academy wonderkid Ethan Nwaneri.
However, former Arsenal defender Martin Keown is convinced that Nwaneri will become increasingly integral to Arteta’s plans sooner rather than later.
Speaking on talkSPORT, he said: “With the ball and without the ball, he’s [Odegaard] probably the most significant player in the Premier League… What Arsenal need to do now is build upon that. They haven’t been able to cope.
“It’s about the development of Nwaneri. If you give it another six months, I think he’s almost ready to replace – that’s a big call – to replace Odegaard. He’s got a lot of ability. He’s 17, so he’s being protected.”
Is Ethan Nwaneri the heir to Martin Odegaard at Arsenal?
Odegaard has mentored Nwaneri at Arsenal, and it is clear that the teenager has the potential to become a real star.
Nwaneri has impressed Arsenal fans already this season, and has shown that he is ready to compete at the highest level.
However, to expect the youngster to be able to regularly shine on the Premier League stage, on a consistent basis, at any point this season would be to place a huge burden on his shoulders.
Nwaneri is undoubtedly the long-term heir to Odegaard, and will serve as the skipper’s understudy in the coming seasons, but unless he is even more special than Arsenal fans already believe him to be it remains the case that Arteta ought to have sourced some more experienced cover in this part of the pitch during the summer.
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