New Delhi: In football, a good collaboration between players can go a long way. In fact, if two players, particularly in the attacking lines, can stand out for their team, the team’s success doubles. This is true for this year’s Arsenal outfit as they charge towards the title, with Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka looking deadly.
The Gunners 5-2 win against West Ham United was a testament to what the team can do when Odegaard and Saka are in good rhythm. Arsenal looked lethal for a period of 25 minutes in which they took the game away from the Hammers and it was all down to the duo. Leandro Trossard scored the second goal, after tapping a brilliant pass from Saka who was served a beautiful through ball by Odegaard.
They work so well on the pitch that they are happy to share the penalty duties as well, with Saka happily standing down from taking the 34th-minute penalty after Odegaard expressed his wish to score. This tuning makes them indispensable for Arsenal and could even make life tough for Liverpool, the points table leaders. During Arsenal’s 2-0 loss to Bournemouth, the duo’s absence was glaring at the Gunners.
💬 “Martin wanted to take the penalty and you know, he’s back, I thought he deserves a goal as well so it was nice to return that to him.”
Watch Bukayo Saka’s post-match interview 👇
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 30, 2024
The loss was Arsenal’s lowest point, as they played without Odegaard for 12 games across the competition. Their captain’s return has sparked new confidence in the Gunners camp, with Odegaard scoring a goal or making an assist in each of his last three outings after returning from the ankle sprain.
How the numbers look for Saka and Odegaard
Odegaard’s contribution has been outstanding, with Arsenal not losing in the Premier League since April in every game the midfielder has been part of. If he were to be compared with Saka, the latter’s contribution would be higher for the Gunners this season. Odegaard, from his 499 minutes playing in the Premier League, has scored once, made two assists, created four chances and taken three shots.
In comparison, Saka has 981 minutes in the Premier League, almost twice as many as his skipper. However, his numbers are better than double that of Odegaard, having scored five goals, making 10 assists, created 36 chances and taken three shots. There’s little doubt about the firepower in the Gunners squad.
On Saturday, Saka created four chances and had nine touches in the West Ham box against Odegaard’s one-chance creation and one touch, which came during the penalty. Saka is no doubt a brilliant player, with his 15 goal involvements this season second only to Mohamed Salah’s 16. Saka is not just about the good stats but also has an aggressive style of play that keeps Arsenal’s balance intact. Against West Ham, he was booked for his clash with Emerson and was involved in an altercation with a much taller Jean-Clair Todibo.
Saka and Odegaard were subbed by the 74th minute, but not before kicking the Hammers out of the game. Saka, in reflection after the game, looked confident with the performance and was clearly hoping that the side would continue this form, calling their playing performance “fluid and dynamic”. While Liverpool have been in good form in the season, a little drop in the performance would see Arsenal catching up with Odegaard and Saka sitting on the crow’s nest of the ship.
Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard’s combination has helped Arsenal to reach the second place of the Premier League table. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
