Arsenal beat Crystal Palace in the quarter-final of the EFL Cup, and Gabriel Jesus was the star of the show.
The Gunners conceded very early in the game to Jean-Philippe Mateta. It felt like one of those days again at that point, but things changed in the second half.
Arsenal looked much better after the break, and Jesus, who had a fairly average first half, looked like a completely different man.
The Brazilian scored three goals and won the Player of the Match award. He was brilliant, but we think one Arsenal player had an even bigger impact on Wednesday night.
Martin Odegaard changed the game for Arsenal vs Crystal Palace
Martin Odegaard has come under criticism from a small yet loud section of the Arsenal fan base recently.
The Gunners really missed him when he was injured. They often looked clueless in attack and were really frustrating to watch without him in the side.
Arsenal became a lot better after Odegaard returned from his injury, but following the draws against Fulham and Everton, some people questioned the Norwegian.
Mikel Arteta even took him off after 62 minutes against Everton and replaced him with young Ethan Nwaneri. That felt like a bold decision.
Odegaard had to respond after being brought on at half-time against Crystal Palace, and the former Real Madrid man ran the show for 45 minutes.
The Arsenal captain assisted two of Jesus’ three goals and was involved in the buildup of the other. He was absolutely sensational and completely changed the game for the Gunners.
Jesus scored the hat-trick and was named the Player of the Match. But, if there was an award for the game-changer, Odegaard would win it comfortably.
READ MORE: Gabriel Jesus shines on 10/10 night, but one gets 2/10 – Arsenal player ratings vs Crystal Palace
Mikel Arteta reacts to Odegaard’s ‘response’
Odegaard had to respond against Crystal Palace at the Emirates.
Getting subbed off at the hour mark in a game where Arsenal needed a goal must have been a bit humiliating for him.
The Arsenal captain looked like a man on a mission against the Eagles, and he was at his best from the start of the second half. He completely bossed Palace and won Arsenal the game.
When asked about Odegaard’s performance after subbing him off in the previous game, Arteta said in his post-match press conference: “Great, good response.
“That’s what we want from all of them. We have that, it elevates the level and helps to impact the team.”
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