Forget goals and assists, Arsenal star Martin Odegaard is actually the best player in the Premier League in one aspect of the game

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Martin Odegaard has faced criticism this season for not contributing to enough goals for Arsenal.

The Norwegian has scored just three times across all competitions this campaign, with his first open-play Premier League strike coming last weekend against Manchester City.

However, Arsenal’s captain has still performed well in other aspects of the game and continues to play almost every minute for Mikel Arteta.

Despite missing a gilt-edged opportunity in the clash with Newcastle on Wednesday night, Odegaard had a good game against the Magpies, and was critical to every dangerous move Arsenal could conjure up.

Martin Odegaard is the best passer in the Premier League

Scoring 15 goals in the Premier League throughout the 2022/23 season, Odegaard had developed a reputation as a goal-scoring midfielder.

However, the playmaker has regressed in this area of the game over the last 18 months, netting just seven non-penalty league goals since the beginning of last term.

Managing five assists this campaign, his creative output has also declined.

This has led to criticism for Odegaard, with fans urging him to shoot more and take on additional responsibility in the final third.

In reality, the captain’s role and responsibilities have changed, as he’s now tasked with dropping deeper in the build-up and facilitating ball progression, rather than breaking into the box.

Fans can debate whether this is the best use of Odegaard, but the statistics indicate that he’s fulfilling this responsibility of progressing the ball to an elite level.

Of players who have played more than 450 minutes (five 90s) in the Premier League this season, no one has completed more progressive passes than the 26-year-old.

A progressive pass is defined as a completed pass that moves the ball towards the opponent’s goal line at least ten yards from its furthest point in the last six passes, or any completed pass into the penalty area.

Usurping all other players in this metric, Odegaard is providing Arsenal with immense value through his ability to get Arteta’s team up the pitch and into the penalty area.

While the Gunners faithful are reasonable in their demands on Odegaard to score more goals, this issue may be more of a symptom of the way in which Arteta is using him, rather than anything the player is doing poorly himself.

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Arsenal need more goal threat from elsewhere

As shown by the data, Odegaard is fulfilling his primary duty to a very high level, and he needs others to start contributing to goals to earn more plaudits for his own work.

Those most culpable are Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli.

Trossard struggled against Newcastle on Wednesday night, and has scored just four league goals all season.

Meanwhile, Martinelli has found the back of the net six times, and looks starved of confidence in the final third.

If the pair of wingers can start scoring more frequently, then criticism around Odegaard will naturally start to dry up.