"Isn't a system player, he is the system", "Heartbeat of that team" - Fans hail Arsenal star's showing in 5-1 win over Sporting CP
Fans have heaped praise on Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard for his performance in their 5-1 win against Sporting CP in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday (November 26). The game was played at Estádio José Alvalade.
Gabriel Martinelli opened the scoring for Arsenal with a right-footed shot from close range after being set up by Jurriën Timber with a cross in the seventh minute. Kai Havertz doubled the score for the visitors with a left-footed shot through an assist from Bukayo Saka in the 22nd minute.
Arsenal's third goal came via Gabriel Magalhães' header after he was assisted by Declan Rice with a cross following a corner (45+1'). Gonçalo Inácio netted the sole goal for Sporting CP through an assist from Trincão in the 47th minute. Odegaard won a penalty after Ousmane Diomande committed a foul. Bukayo Saka successfully converted it in the 65th minute.
The Gunners' last goal of the game was netted by Leandro Trossard through a header in the 82nd minute.
Odegaard made 82 touches with two key passes while maintaining a pass accuracy of 86% (56/65). The 25-year-old, who pulled off an impressive performance in the match, was substituted in the 78th minute, as Ethan Nwaneri replaced him.
Fans flooded social media with posts, hailing Martin Odegaard for his display in Arsenal's 5-1 win against Sporting CP. Here are some of the reactions from X:
One fan wrote:
"Odegaard isn’t a system player. He is the system 🧠."
Another added:
"He is the heartbeat of that Arsenal team."
"Crazy how one player completely carries the creative burden of an entire team," posted another.
One fan tweeted:
"Our best midfield asset since Fabregas. No one like him!"
Another wrote:
"The brain The commander The chief The orchestrator My captain 🔥."
"He is who he thinks he is He is HIM He is the heart of the Arsenal’s attack," chimed in another fan.
One user wrote:
"Odegaard is the core of the whole #Arsenal. You can tell clearly when there is or is no Odegaard in the team."
While another wrote:
"My skipper is back."
Martin Odegaard missed 12 games for Arsenal after sustaining an ankle injury while on international duty for Norway in September. He returned to the pitch in the Gunners' Premier League clash against Chelsea on November 10 and provided an assist in their 1-1 draw. The midfielder has registered three assists in seven appearances across competitions this season.
Mikel Arteta on Arsenal's 5-1 win against Sporting CP in the UEFA Champions League
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta shared his thoughts on his squad's performance against Sporting CP in the UEFA Champions League. The Gunners faced a 1-0 defeat against Inter Milan in their previous Champions League clash on November 6. However, since then, they have been unbeaten in their last two Premier League games — a 1-1 draw with Chelsea and a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
While speaking to TNT Sports after Tuesday's Champions League clash, Arteta highlighted the importance of consistency and said (via GOAL):
"That's what we need to do. We need to find consistency. You want to be challenging for the big things? You have to be consistent. Win and win again. Today was a very different game but we reacted really well, let's move on now."
When asked if the win against Sporting CP was the Gunners’ best away European performance under his management, the Spanish coach said:
"Absolutely. Especially against a team that hasn’t lost at home in 18 months. They’ve been in incredible form, better than everyone they’ve faced here. To perform like that against them is very satisfying."
The Gunners' win against Sporting CP marked the end of an impressive streak for the Portuguese club, who were unbeaten across 18 matches this campaign, including 17 wins and a draw.
Mikel Arteta's squad maintained 48% ball possession against Sporting CP while creating five big chances and having nine shots on target.
(Stats via Sofascore. These platforms may change the stats as per their prerogative)
