"He was the best player on the pitch" - Former Chelsea star praises Arsenal man's performance in their 5-0 win over the Blues
Former Chelsea star Jason Cundy praised Arsenal star Martin Odegaard following his performance in the Gunner's magnificient 5-0 victory over Chelsea at the Emirates on Tuesday (April 23).
In the Arsenal vs Chelsea post-match discussion on Highbury Squad's YouTube channel, Cundy heaped praise on Martin Odegaard, calling him "the best number 10" over the last three seasons. The former Chelsea star called the Norwegian youngster "the best player on the pitch" in Arsenal's clash against Chelsea.
“I want to mention Odegaard. He’s probably consistently over the last three seasons been the best number 10. I know people talk to me about De Bruyne, but he’s had injuries. But I would say consistently, last three years, I’d say Odegaard is as good as anyone in the league right now. And last night, I thought he was the best player on the pitch." Cundy said.
Cundy further revealed that he wasn't "taken by him" when Odegaard first joined Arsenal.
“I have to say, when he first joined Arsenal, I wasn’t that taken by him. I’m looking at him, not convinced.”
Odegaard first joined the north London club as a loanee in January 2021 but the club soon bought the player permanently from Real Madrid for a reported fee of €35 million in August 2021.
The midfielder has scored 11 goals and provided nine assists in the current season in 44 appearances across all competitions.
Martin Odegaard provided two assists in Arsenal's 5-0 win against Chelsea
On Tuesday night (April 23), Martin Odegaard was one of the Gunner's best players on pitch against Chelsea. He was the highest rated player in the match on Sofascore with a near-perfect 9.9 rating.
Odegaard provided two important assists in the game. The first one was a curving through ball delivered from behind the center-line towards a running Kai Havertz, who scored the third goal of the night.
Odegaard's second assist was for Ben White who scored the fifth goal which came in the form of a lofted pass from right outside the penalty box. The Norwegian captain made eight key passes with an 88% pass accuracy (via Sofascore).
He won eight out of 11 ground duels, made six defensive recoveries and one interception. The Gunner's victory against Chelsea gave them three important points, with them now at the top of the league table with 77 points.
However, Liverpool and Man City are not far behind. City (on 73 points) can go two points clear if they win their two upcoming fixtures opposite Brighton and Nottingham Forest, while Liverpool could tie with them if they win against Everton on Wednesday (April 24). However, both these clubs have a much poorer goal difference than the north London club.