Jermaine Jenas insists Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison is on the same level as Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard
Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jermaine Jenas believes Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is not better than his Tottenham Hotspur opposite number James Maddison.
The duo have been influential to the impressive starts the North London clubs have had in the 2023-24 Premier League campaign, and while the Gunners faithful insist the Norway international midfielder has been the better player, Jenas disagrees.
The pundit has been impressed with what he has seen from Odegaard, dubbing him a ‘special special talent’.
“I was having this argument recently with an Arsenal fan about… a discussion about Odegaard and James Maddison,” Jenas told TNT Sports.
“And the guy was like “You would always take Odegaard above Maddison.” I’m like “Why?” I’m not that convinced with it personally.
“Odegaard is a special special talent, so is James Maddison.”
The Spurs star has been an inspired addition to Ange Postecoglou’s side since joining from Leicester City in the summer, but he has not been influential when compared to Odegaard and is not better than the Norwegian.
The Foxes got relegated last term while Arsenal were strong title contenders.
Odegaard ended the campaign with 15 goals and seven assists in 37 Premier League games, while Maddison weighed in with ten goals and nine assists.
He has scored twice and assisted five others in eight league games this term, while the Gunners skipper has scored thrice and assisted once.
Maddison is a great player without a doubt, but Odegaard has been the better player across all ramifications and has been the more influential player out of the duo.
At the end of the day, fans of both clubs will always go for their own player amid the two midfielders, but the bragging rights this term will go to the player whose team finishes above the other.
Tottenham are currently top of the table after eight games, with only a superior goal advantage putting them ahead of Arsenal as they both have the same points (20).
