“A really tough one” - Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard hails Liverpool rival as one of his toughest ever opponents
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has named Liverpool counterpart Virgil van Dijk as his toughest opponent. The Norwegian did not think twice before naming the Dutchman in a recent interview.
Speaking to TNT Sport, Odegaard was quizzed about his toughest opponent. He quickly named the Liverpool captain and simply said:
“Virgil, a really tough one.”
It was not the first time Odegaard has named Van Dijk as his toughest opponent. He claimed that the Liverpool star was up there with Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos during an interview in 2021 as well. Odegaard was quoted by talkSPORT as saying:
“That’s a hard one, of course I have to mention Sergio Ramos, I played against him a couple of times In Spain. Also Virgil van Dijk, I played against him with the national team, so I would say those two maybe. They were tough.”
Martin Odegaard suffered an ankle injury earlier this season and was out for a few matches. He returned earlier this month and helped the Gunners get back to winning ways.
Mikel Arteta hints Arsenal need Martin Odegaard to catch Liverpool
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has hinted that Arsenal are dependant on Martin Odegaard. He claimed that his side play better when the Norwegian is on the pitch and told the media this week:
"It is different [without Odegaard in the team]. He is a different player and a unique player in our team. For the energy that he brings, the understanding of the game that he has and the trust that he has from everybody. He is the player that connects everything, that's him. His body language, his capacity to link with the ball and the way he drives the press makes him a very important player and that is why he is our captain."
"Obviously we have certain chemistries in the team that have been built over a period of time. We are building others and I think they are going to be really strong as well. What I was really pleased about is that we played with so much enthusiasm, energy and quality. I saw a different team in that sense," he added.
Martin Ogedaard has played six matches for Arsenal this season but is yet to score a goal for them. He has assisted twice, and they have come in the last two matches when they faced Chelsea and Nottingham Forest.
The Gunners are fourth in the Premier League table right now with 22 points. They are nine points behind the leaders Liverpool against they drew 2-2 against while Odegaard was out injured.
