Mikel Arteta says Arsenal have a big player willing to become one of the best
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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has heaped praise on Martin Odegaard following his excellent run of Premier League form this month.
The Norwegian has been in superb touch since the beginning of December. He has registered three goals and three assists from six league appearances.
He has played an instrumental role in the club’s turnaround. Arteta recently said that the playmaker glides the team together with his movement in the final third.
In another separate interview on Arsenal.com, Arteta was asked to compare Odegaard with David de Gea. The Spanish tactician said that it is very early to talk about it.
However, he has no doubts over the Norwegian’s tremendous quality, and believes the club have a big player who is willing to become one of the best in the world.
He said: “That’s a big name. My opinion is David is the best I’ve seen playing between the lines for the last 20 years.”
“Martin has got a tremendous quality and the capacity to unlock situations and put players through to generate open spaces in tight areas.
“I’m really happy [with him] and now he’s improving in his goal threat as well so we have a big player there that is very willing to become one of the best, but it’s still very early.”
The 23-year-old bagged only two goals and two assists during his 20 games on loan earlier this year, but he was an active presence in the final third, creating key chances.
He made a slow start on his permanent return to the club, but now appears to be finding his feet. He has been willing to make runs into the box, paving the way for more goals.
This has seen him grow in confidence in recent weeks. The onus now remains on finding consistency over a longer period while making a difference in the big matches.
Odegaard will need to be at the top of his game on New Year’s Day against Manchester City. The Gunners have a dreadful league record against them with nine straight losses.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
Read: Mikel Arteta delighted with Martin Odegaard’s recent Arsenal form.