“Such a joy to watch what he does on the pitch” – Yannick Bolasie hails ‘special’ Arsenal star for display in win over West Ham
Yannick Bolasie had only words of praise for Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, who aided the Gunners with two assists in their 3-1 win over West Ham on Boxing Day. The Hammers could not break the midfielder, who was a thorn in their defense through much of the game.
Odegaard was vital throughout as he sought out chances, laid out accurate passes, and put West Ham on the back foot. Yannick Bolasie was thoroughly impressed, taking to Twitter to state:
"Odegaard is just something else…special player such a joy to watch what he does on the pitch, a winger or strikers dream in behind."
Odegaard is just something else…special player such a joy to watch what he does on the pitch, a winger or strikers dream in behind #Vision 🪄
The former Premier League forward also added the hashtag #Vision and a magic wand emoji to his praise for the Arsenal captain.
Odegaard has scored a remarkable six goals in the Premier League this season, and while he failed to find the net in this game, it did little to dent his overall performance.
He will be pleased with his work in consolidating the Gunners' spot at the top of the Premier League table as they head into the New Year.
Arsenal enjoy a resounding 3-1 victory over West Ham in their Boxing Day affair
Martin Odegaard’s game by numbers vs. West Ham:
93% pass accuracy
81 touches
25 passes into the final third
5 key passes
5 ground duels won
2/3 dribbles completed
2 big chances created
2 assists
Director. 🎬 https://t.co/0dBBKtOqbG
The Hammers have suffered their fourth defeat in a row, thanks to a commanding performance by the Gunners on Boxing Day. The match started off brightly, as Bukayo Saka scored within the first five minutes. However, the goal was disallowed for offside.
Despite this setback, Arsenal continued to apply pressure on their opponents, constantly attacking and attempting to find the back of the net. It was West Ham who eventually broke the deadlock, as Said Benrahma scored from the penalty spot in the 27th minute.
The Gunners were also given a penalty by the referee after a perceived handball by Aaron Cresswell. However, a VAR check revealed that the ball had only hit the midfielder's head, rather than his hand, and the penalty call was overturned.
Mikel Arteta's men did not relent, impressively chasing after their own goal, and just minutes into the second half, Bukayo Saka made it happen for Arsenal. A shot from Odegaard found its way to an onside Saka, who had plenty of time to pick his spot and put it past Fabianski.
As the hour mark approached, the Gunners took the lead with a commanding display of attacking play from Gabriel Martinelli, whose low shot put them ahead. Eddie Nketiah sealed the victory for the Gunners as he expertly maneuvered past his marker before thundering the ball past Fabianski's outstretched arms.
The final score was a resounding 3-1 win for Arsenal as they temporarily surged eight points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table.