Arsenal dominated on the south coast as they hammered Bournemouth 4-0 as they remain unbeaten in the Premier League.
There were plenty of positives in a game the Gunners dominated with Kai Havertz scoring his first goal along with several impressive performances.
Mikel Arteta’s side were already cruising by that point after going 2-0 up before half-time thanks to goals from Bukayo Saka and Odegaard.
Saka nodded home a header from a few yards – just his second headed goal of his career – and Odegaard scored a penalty, which had been won by Eddie Nketiah. Arsenal added a fourth in injury-time through Ben White.
The Gunners were able to take full advantage of Manchester City’s defeat to Wolves on Saturday, with this win seeing Arsenal remain unbeaten in the Premier League.
However, it was the performance of captain Odegaard that caught the eye of many after he scored and grabbed two assists during the game.
Why did Odegaard stand out?
To put it plainly, grabbing a goal and two assists is enough to win you man of the match. He cooly slotted a penalty just before half-time, sending Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto the wrong way before winning the second penalty after being clattered in the box and setup the fourth goal, too.
It really was a performance that deserved more plaudits than it may get. The Norwegian oozed class and his ability to do so in big games, as well as the fixtures the Gunners are expected to win such as is a testament to his personality and quality.
He steps up time and time again and with that, he’s quite easily the team’s biggest asset which is a strong statement considering Saka’s quality and ability.
However, to have the influence on games that he does, Odegaard is easily the most important player in this team and should he be missing or leave, Arsenal are likely to feel that absence more than any other player in the squad.