Mikel Arteta praised captain Martin Odegaard following his excellent start to the 2026/27 season, urging his side to give him more of the ball during matches.
The 27-year-old has hit the ground running this campaign, scoring four goals in five appearances in all competitions, including back-to-back winners against Chelsea last Sunday and Napoli in their UEFA Champions League 1-0 victory on Wednesday.
Odegaard experienced an injury plagued 2025/26 season as the Gunners ended a 21-year Premier League title drought and reached the Champions League final, which they lost to Paris Saint-Germain.
French manager Mikel Arteta has opened up on the form of the Norwegian midfielder and skipper, emphasizing his importance for the North London giants in the current campaign.
“First of all, he [Odegaard] needs to be available and last year he missed so many games through injuries,” said Arteta at the post-match conference after defeating Napoli.
“The quality’s always been there. It’s never been a question. Last year, to have two shoulder injuries like he did, then a MCL injury he did, it’s never easy.
“But then you see him at the World Cup and how he’s started this year. That’s the Martin we know and we love; he is our captain. We need to keep giving him the ball and letting things happen.”
The former Manchester City assistant coach also revealed that the team has new requirements for Odegaard due to the quality of the new players in the squad.
“We have a lot of players that can take the ball there and progress the ball much better than we did in the past,” added the Frenchman.
“When that happens, [Odegaard] needs to take different heights and angles and positions in order to disorganise the opponent and he’s done that really well.”
Arsenal turn their attention to Saturday’s league clash against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
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