- Arsenal defeated Nottingham Forest 3-0 in the Premier League on Saturday
- Martin Odegaard was in good form after fully recovering from his injury
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As the famous saying goes: absence makes the heart grow fonder.
After spending two months in stuttering form as Martin Odegaard recovered from an ankle injury, the sight of their talismanic captain in top gear on Saturday was very welcome indeed for the Gunners.
The Norwegian’s passing, dribbling and pressing are crucial to Mikel Arteta’s blueprint, which came into sharper focus when Arsenal won just three of seven Premier League matches in his absence. They missed him, okay.
In the past his work has been overshadowed by others. Arteta even faced questions about the midfielder’s position in the team during a difficult run of form in October last year.
The manager said at the time: ‘We have to be aware of his form and positioning. It’s about putting him in better positions and optimizing our tactics to make the most of his strengths.”
There is no doubting how important Odegaard is to an Arsenal team with big names like Bukayo Saka and William Saliba.
Martin Odegaard put in a man of the match performance as Arsenal returned to winning ways
The sight of their talismanic captain in top gear on Saturday was most welcome
While Saka opened the scoring with a fine strike and set up Thomas Partey’s second, it was Odegaard’s man-of-the-match display that won the plaudits.
His clever, intricate passing around the penalty area tore Nottingham Forest apart and his subtle, off-the-ball running created the space for Partey’s long-range strike.
Teammate Riccardo Calafiori delivered a similar message after the match.
He said: ‘You can feel it when he’s missing. He gives us a lot of energy and quality. You feel it, whether he is on or off the field. Him and Bukayo, what they did was incredible. It’s good to have them back.’
There is still a long way to go this season, but if Arsenal are to achieve their dreams, Odegaard must play a key role.