“I would put him in that bracket” - Ray Parlour likens 25-year-old Arsenal star to club legend Dennis Bergkamp
Former Arsenal star Ray Parlour has likened current Gunners captain Martin Odegaard to club icon Dennis Bergkamp. The latter usually occupied the space behind the striker while Odegaard seems to be playing a slightly deeper role at the moment.
During his time with the north London side, Bergkamp made 422 appearances across competitions, bagging 120 goals and 112 assists. The Dutch forward won the Premier League trophy thrice and the FA Cup on four occasions, among other honors at Arsenal.
The Gunners have been missing the Norway international of late, who continues to recover from injury. In his absence, they've found it difficult to come up with ideas in the final third and break down opposition defences.
Speaking about Odegaard, Parlour told GiveMeSport:
"Arsenal have really missed Odegaard. I played with Dennis Bergkamp and I would put Martin in that bracket."
"His vision, weight of pass and ability to get out of tight situations reminds me of Bergkamp. Arsenal don't really have an Odegaard backup, even though Rice can play in that role. It’s horrible when you lose such a key player."
While the former Real Madrid midfielder did not register a goal contribution in three league appearances this season, he was vital to his team's performances.
Norway manager provides update on Arsenal star Martin Odegaard's injury situation
Norway manager Stale Solbakken seemingly has good news for Arsenal fans about Martin Odegaard. The attacking midfielder has been out of action since picking up an ankle injury while on international duty in September.
However, his national team head coach believes that the 25-year-old could feature for the country during the next break in mid-November. Speaking about Odegaard, Solbakken told news outlet Verdens Gang (via talkSPORT):
"Everything indicates that things are going according to plan. Then it is about the last steps when you are going to train with opponents and at team training."
"It depends on how he responds to it, but we have a justified hope that he is ready [to feature next month]."
Liverpool come to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday (October 27) with a four-point advantage over the third-placed Gunners. Mikel Arteta's side have a daunting challenge ahead of them in the Premier League and it looks as though their skipper will remain absent for this tie.