Former Premier League goalkeeper Tim Howard thinks one Arsenal player is only just showing his worth this season.
We are past the halfway mark of the 2025/26 Premier League season, giving Arsenal additional motivation to keep doing what they’re doing.
The Gunners lead the table but are closely followed by Manchester City, who will do all in their power to stop Mikel Arteta from getting his hands on the title in May.
Unlike previous seasons, there’s a new look about Arsenal, one of determination and strong mentality, helped by several key players building form.
In recent weeks, Arsenal have been treated to having their captain, Martin Odegaard, back to his best, something that hadn’t been seen for a long while.
Imagine it’s the Champions League final tomorrow and you could only start one player out of Eberechi Eze and Martin Odegaard. Who are you picking and why?
Tim Howard says Martin Odegaard had been missing for Arsenal
Odegaard has been instrumental in Arsenal’s recent run of games, but before that, the captain left a lot to be desired.
There’s never been a question regarding the Norwegian’s quality, but his consistency is a different matter.
Speaking on NBC Sports, Tim Howard spoke about Odegaard following Arsenal’s win over Bournemouth, suggesting that he’s finally living up to expectations.
“Odegaard as well, he’s been missing this season,” Howard admitted.
He continued, “Even when he’s been on the pitch, it’s like ‘where is it?’ You saw it today.”
The former goalkeeper eventually applauded Odegaard’s performance against Bournemouth, and rightly so, as the playmaker added to his assist tally by setting up Declan Rice.
Odegaard is finally showing consistency again in the Premier League
While Howard was right to praise Odegaard’s top performance at the Vitality, he was also right to raise how lacklustre the midfielder has been, arguably since the 2022/23 season.
Fill the blanks: I think Martin Odegaard will end the season with a total of __ goal contributions.
Against Bournemouth, the Arsenal captain achieved something he hadn’t since April and May 2025, contributing to goals in three consecutive Premier League games.
Following his goal against Brighton with assists against Aston Villa and Bournemouth, Odegaard is showing signs of reviving his best form at the perfect time for the Gunners.
If Arsenal are to win the title, they’ll need their captain back to his best, which looks to be the case, judging by his start to 2026.
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