Paul Merson has claimed that Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has been a better midfielder this season than Manchester City star Phil Foden and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes.
The Premier League is stacked with world-class midfielders, and it’s extremely difficult to choose your top five at any given time.
Merson has just revealed his, and Odegaard has been ranked fifth – ahead of some very big names.
SAKA, ANTONY AND 10 PREMIER LEAGUE STARS HEADING TO THEIR FIRST WORLD CUP
Merson says Arsenal captain Odegaard has been better than Foden and Fernandes
Odegaard missed Arsenal’s last game against Brentford due to a calf injury, but he has arguably been our best player this season behind Gabriel Jesus and William Saliba.
The Norwegian is the one who makes us tick, and if he has a good game, Arsenal usually end up on the winning side.
MORE ARSENAL STORIES
Merson, who was among those who criticised Mikel Arteta’s decision to sign Odegaard last year, absolutely loves him now, and he believes the Norwegian is the fifth-best midfielder in the Premier League.
He wrote on Sportskeeda: “At the moment, I’ll put Martin Odegaard at #5 because he’s taken Arsenal to another level this season.
“He’s got a swagger about the way he plays and moves, while he’s also added goals to his game. Odegaard has been around for a while, so it’s easy to forget he’s only 23. The fact that he’s Arsenal’s captain at such a young age shows how highly Mikel Arteta rates him.
“I like Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount, Phil Foden and the likes, but Odegaard is someone who has already made a massive impact this season. He plays in a position where he has to make things happen and he’s done just that as Arsenal find themselves at the top of the Premier League table with 18 points from seven games.”
The skipper should be fit for NLD
Seeing the team sheet against Brentford and finding out that Odegaard was left out was a shock to many. Several fans feared the worst, but thankfully, Fabio Vieira stepped up and helped us win the game.
The Portuguese midfielder is showing why Arteta and Edu paid so much money to sign him. He seems like a fine player, and he looks ready to start regularly in the Premier League.
However, Odegaard is our first choice in that number 10 role and we need him fit. Thankfully for Arteta and Arsenal fans, his injury doesn’t seem like a bad one.
Reports revealed yesterday that Odegaard should be back in the squad from his calf injury for the game against Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates right after the international break.
