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Pundit lauds Martin Odegaard following Man Utd victory

By on August 20, 2025

martin odegaard arsenal

Former forward turned pundit Paul Merson has heaped praise on Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard following his impressive performance against Manchester United.

The 26-year-old enjoyed a productive 2022/23 campaign at the Emirates Stadium, scoring 15 goals and registering seven assists in 37 league appearances.

The Norwegian was also excellent in the following season, making 22 goal contributions in 48 appearances across all competitions. However, his level dropped last term, and although Arsenal finished second in the Premier League, they never managed to push Liverpool for the title.

Now, following the opening Premier League game against Man Utd last weekend, on Sky Sports, Merson states that Odegaard was back at his best against Ruben Amorim’s side, and he needs to maintain this level to guide the Gunners to win big silverware this season.

Merson wrote:

“Special mention for Martin Odegaard. I thought he was back to his best. There were a couple of times he didn’t have the options on the counter, and he also made a couple of wrong decisions, but he was so much better than last season. If he can maintain those levels that is a big plus for Arsenal.”

Pundit lauds Odegaard

Odegaard, valued at around £73m by Transfermarkt, joined the Gunners on an initial loan deal in January 2021. Having been impressed by his performances, Mikel Arteta decided to sign him permanently the following summer.

It wasn’t a straightforward deal as Los Blancos were willing to keep hold of him, but the midfielder eventually opted to leave after realising that he wouldn’t get enough playing time at the Spanish capital due to the presence of Casemiro, Toni Kroos, and Luka Modric.

Odegaard has flourished in his career at Arsenal and has guided the North London club to become a consistent title challenger as a captain. However, he now has to guide his team to win the Premier League or the Champions League this season.

He had to face a lot of criticism last term, especially following his underwhelming displays against Paris Saint-Germain in both games in the Champions League semi-final.

So, it is going to be interesting to see whether the Norwegian can eventually manage to help Arsenal overcome their more than two decades of Premier League title drought this season.