Bukayo Saka will get the credit but 123-touch Arsenal star deserves the plaudits after West Ham

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Martin Odegaard produced a midfield masterclass for Arsenal against West Ham United on Sunday.

Whilst Martin Odegaard did not get on the scoresheet himself as Arsenal put West Ham United to the sword, he was instrumental to almost everything that the Gunners did well on the day.

Bukayo Saka has, quite rightly, earned plenty of plaudits for his performance at the London Stadium. The 22-year-old bagged a brace, and was a potent threat throughout the match. In this game, Saka even reached a personal Arsenal milestone that saw him become the first player to achieve one feat since 1978.

Equally, Arsenal fans were keen to heap praise on Declan Rice, for the role he played in the 6-0 mauling of his former club. The England star was a monumental force in the middle of the park, providing two assists with his set-piece deliveries, and rounding-off the scoring with a long-range thunderbolt.

Of course, there were many other noteworthy individual performances all over the pitch from an Arsenal perspective, as Mikel Arteta’s side truly hit top gear against the Hammers.

However, Odegaard deserves to be singled out for a special mention. The 25-year-old also provided two assists, setting up goals for Saka and Leandro Trossard. He orchestrated this resounding win, and a closer look at the numbers tells the full story of just how influential he was throughout the match.

Just how good was Martin Odegaard against West Ham?

According to WhoScored statistics, Odegaard recorded 123 touches throughout the match, comfortably more than any other player on the pitch. He also produced 7 key passes, again putting him in a league of his own. He completed more passes than any other player, with 115, recording an accuracy rating of 94.8%. He also completed one dribble, and was not once successfully dispossessed or found guilty of an unsuccessful touch.

In his usual manner, Odegaard also worked incredibly hard off the ball, as the club captain routinely takes responsibility for leading the Arsenal press. Although the Gunners were not out of possession in this match a great deal, the Norwegian still made one tackle and one interception.

It should not be overlooked just how remarkable a performance this was from the former Real Madrid man. In this match, Odegaard became the first player in any of Europe’s top leagues to take his tally of chances created to over 50 for the season so far.

He is the heart of this Arsenal team, their creative hub, and tactical leader, and he deserves to be lauded for this astonishing display to the same extent as the likes of Saka and Rice.