Arsenal are on the verge of winning the Premier League for the first time in nearly 20 years. And the one who kindled the flame of hope was captain Martin Odegaard.
Many people were quite surprised when Martin Odegaard was elected Arsenal captain before this season.
But you’ll struggle to find any Gunners fans globally who don’t think the Norwegian should be captaining at the moment.
And if anyone thought that the 2022 World Cup would stand in the way of Odegaard, it was the midfielder who quelled that thought.
Odegaard’s brace against Wolves before the break gave Arsenal a five-point advantage over Manchester City.
Then, Odegaard proved he wasn’t in the mood to give up that gap by pulling the strings to inspire a comeback comeback against West Ham on Gift Day.
And five days later, the classy captain was back at it once again as he led the Gunners on a march to the south coast to face Brighton.
After Saka’s opening goal, Odegaard scored Arsenal’s second to send them into halftime with a crucial two-goal advantage.
But his best work came during the night when Mikel Arteta’s students needed a calm head and a little quality.
They just let Brighton shorten the gap to 1-3 and were overwhelmed by the opponent, threatening to come back.
But Odegaard’s first delicate pass allowed Gabriel Martinelli to restore the three-goal lead and ease any growing tension from the away start.
Odegaard has now had seven goals and five assists in the Premier League this season. His 12 contributions to this goal beat his own statistics for the entire previous season.
And if Odegaard’s excellent form continues, he will certainly join Tony Adams and Patrick Vieira as captains who have led Arsenal to the Premier League title.
It’s been almost 19 years since the North London side raised English football’s biggest prize.
But with Arteta’s men growing stronger and opponents faltering with each passing week, what seemed like a dream in August is quickly becoming a reality.
