3 standout players from narrow win away at Leeds

They can’t all be easy. Arsenal’s game against Leeds was the hardest test they’ve faced this season. The players were up against a tough side with good opponents in an away ground buzzing with energy which transmitted onto the pitch.

Arsenal were forced to hold on more than they would have liked, especially in that second half, but in a season packed with fixtures and an unprecedented interruption, all that matters are the three points.

3 standout players from narrow win away at Leeds

Mikel Arteta’s men did get those points in the end, partly due to three standout players at Elland Road.

3. Martin Odegaard

Martin Odegaard’s performances have been underrated by a surprising number of fans. In ten games this season, the Norwegian has recorded three goals and two assists. This is an impressive return, especially considering his role in the team.

No longer the pure attacking midfielder he was when he first joined on loan, Odegaard has become more of a box-to-box midfielder in a nominal 4-3-3. The amount of responsibility on his shoulders is incredible. Not only is he tasked with building play from a deeper position, exchanging passes with Thomas Partey and Ben White, but he also has to provide incisive killer passes into the opposition’s box while pressing intensely from the front. He has been exceptional at each of those tasks this season.

Coming off a difficult game against Bodø/Glimt in midweek, Odegaard was outstanding in the first half. His technical level was on full display. He combined well with Gabriel Jesus and Saka, slid balls into his forwards with ease and ran himself into the ground, before getting the all-important assist for Saka’s strike.

Odegaard wasn’t able to exert as much influence on proceedings as he would have liked after half-time.

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