"Such an influential player", "Very difficult to play against" - Pundits single out Arsenal player for praise after crucial victory against Wolves

Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp and former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink have lauded Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard after his team's recent 2-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Gunners consolidated their position at the top of the 2022-23 Premier League standings with an away win on Saturday (12 November).

Odegaard, 23, helped his team bag their 12th win of the ongoing campaign with a brace in the second half at the Molineux Stadium. He also completed 43 passes, registered three shots, completed two successful dribbles, won four ground duels, and made seven recoveries.

🍿 Enjoy the action from Molineux all over again, Gooners!

📺 Highlights | Wolves 0-2 Arsenal https://t.co/i2Ow7lBkYK

Speaking on Sky Sports (via Daily Mail), Redknapp claimed Odegaard was a major influence on the Mikel Arteta-coached side. He said:

"Odegaard's had a great season, a lot of people talk about different players, if [William] Saliba gets injured what might happen but I think you have to put him in that bracket as well, he's such an influential player for the team, the way he controls the game."

Heaping praise on the Norwegian, Redknapp added:

"Especially heading forward, [Gabriel] Jesus is having a bit of a moment, he's playing well and doing a great job for the team but not got the goals. That's when you need your midfield players, wide men can they chip in and make the difference. So, for him to get two goals is just so important for the team."

Hasselbaink also pitched in and shared his thoughts on the Arsenal playmaker, especially his pressing and dribbling abilities. He said:

"When he plays like that and especially in the second-half and he takes the ball and he runs at people he's very, very difficult to play against. He's hard to stop. Here, his first touch is not great but he counter-presses and he wins the ball but he keeps his head up and gives it [Oleksandr] Zinchenko."

Lauding his finish for his second goal, he continued:

"Then Odegaard finds a moment again and is very calm and it's a great finish. It's not a simple finish, it's not easy but he stays very calm, here he gets the ball, gets a touch and gets it down and just puts it in the side net and as Jamie already spoke about, he's very, very important to Arsenal."

Odegaard, who was appointed as the club's captain in July, has registered six goals and two assists in 13 Premier League starts this term.

Martin Odegaard has now scored 6 Premier League goals in 13 appearances this season. He had only scored 8 in his previous 50 Premier League appearances.

Gone up a level. 📈 https://t.co/MleVi2bj56

Premier League midfielder has an agreement in place to join Arsenal next summer

According to Voetbal Primeur (via Mundo Deportivo), Arsenal have an agreement in place to sign Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans on a free transfer at the end of the ongoing season.

Tielemans, 25, has been linked with a move to Arsenal since the start of the summer window. However, no transfer materialized due to the Foxes' steep asking price in the region of £40 million.

A box-to-box midfielder renowned for his passing and shooting, the Belgian has been a crucial member of Brendan Rodgers' side since 2019. So far, he has netted 27 goals and laid out 25 assists in 175 appearances across all competitions for Leicester City.

Tielemans has been named in Belgium's 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup later this month. A good campaign for the Red Devils in Qatar is expected to increase his number of suitors.