Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard delivered a stunning performance as the Gunners secured a convincing 3-1 win over Chelsea in the Premier League last night.
The north London giants were on a four-match winless streak before the game and it was anticipated that the Blues could present a difficult challenge for them.
However, Mikel Arteta’s side dominated the proceedings from the early exchanges and Odegaard was the man of the match with an exceptional attacking display.
The Norwegian opened the scoring a brilliant curling effort in the 18th minute. Granit Xhaka put the ball on the plate for him with a cross from the left flank.
It was deja-vu in the 31st minute. Xhaka delivered another precise pass for the Gunners skipper who bagged his 14th goal of the current Premier League campaign.
Few minutes later, Gabriel Jesus put the game beyond doubt with the Gunners’ third goal.
Chelsea netted a goal of their own through Noni Madueke after the hour mark but it proved to be a consolation as they lacked the cutting edge in the final third.
The victory has taken Arsenal back to the top of the Premier League with 78 points but Manchester City are only two behind with a couple of matches in hand.
The Gunners no longer have their title destiny in their own hands and now require the help from the opposition to prevent City from going on a perfect winning run.
Meanwhile, Odegaard has been a revelation this campaign. Against Chelsea, he had 64 touches, completing 84% of his passes.
Aside from his goals, the 24-year-old also won two duels and made two clearances. He set the example from the start with regular high pressing on the Chelsea defence.
He now has 22 goal contributions in the top-flight season. The Norwegian should only get better and in our view, he has been the best acquisition under Arteta thus far.
