“Petrified of him” – Ian Wright claims Arsenal star scared the life out of West Ham defender during Boxing Day win
Martin Odegaard returned in top gear for Arsenal's Boxing Day clash with West Ham United, running riot as he inspired his side to a 3-1 triumph at the Emirates.
The 24-year-old proved too much to handle for the visitors, and Gunners legend Ian Wright couldn't help but note how he scared the hell out of Hammers defender Aaron Cresswell.
The game kicked off with both sides looking determined to snatch all three points at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal suffered a significant blow as West Ham finished the first half with a 1-0 lead after converting a penalty kick in the 27th minute of the encounter.
Official: Martin Ødegaard has been awarded Man of the Match for his performance against West Ham tonight. 🪄 [Amazon] #afc https://t.co/ETVp6LJsJ8
However, Martin Odegaard stepped up to the plate and took matters into his own hands after the restart. The Norwegian set up Bukayo Saka to score the equalizer in the 53rd minute.
He also sent a decent pass to Granit Xhaka, who in turn assisted Gabriel Martinelli to give the Gunners a much-needed lead five minutes later.
Odegaard made his impact felt once again as he found Edward Nketiah with a beautiful pass in the box in the 69th minute. The forward converted it to seal a 3-1 victory for his side and keep their title charge moving forward.
Speaking after the game, former Arsenal striker Ian Wright was full of praise for Odegaard for his decisive performance during the encounter. The Gunners legend also highlighted how the Norwegian left West Ham left-back Aaron Cresswell petrified.
Wright was quoted as saying by HITC:
“Martin Odegaard, when he cut inside here, you can see the width and space he’s got once he does that. You say it’s a bit of luck. But his touch (Saka’s) was fantastic."
Martin Ødegaard's game by numbers vs. West Ham:
93% pass accuracy
81 touches
60 passes
12 passes into opp. box (most)
7 passes into final ⅓
7 x possession won
6 duels won
6 shots (most)
5 chances created (most)
2 take-ons completed
2 assists
And don't forget that nutmeg. 🤤 https://t.co/ZAcKOlhG2f
The Englishman added:
“He’s come in off the edge there. You could see Cresswell is petrified of him. Coufal has dropped too far in. And that touch (from Saka) there is fantastic, then bam!"
He continued:
“Of course, you have to say there is a bit of luck there, it wasn’t hitting the target (Odegaard’s shot that led to Saka’s goal), but you get the luck that you deserve."
Former Premier League star Gabriel Agbonlahor tips Arsenal to win the Premier League this season
While speaking on talkSPORT, the former Aston Villa striker opined that Arsenal are indeed capable of winning the Premier League title this season. Agbonlahor pointed to the consistency and results of Mikel Arteta's men to back up his claim.
“Yes, they can [win the Premier League]”, the talkSPORT pundit said. “I feel that, we’ve been doing this show since the start of the season and every week, everyone’s been saying, ‘Oh, they’ll bottle it next week, it’s only 7 games, it’s only 8 games, it’s only 10 games, you can’t look at the table yet.”
As it stands, the Gunners lead the title race with 40 points in 15 games, having won 13, drawn one, and lost only one game in the English top flight so far this term. Up next, they'll take on Bournemouth away from home on December 31.