Martin Odegaard showing passing prowess as return to form boosts Arsenal's title prospects - The Radar
The Radar column returns with a look at Martin Odegaard's Arsenal resurgence following his starring displays against Aston Villa and Brighton; watch Bournemouth vs Arsenal live on Sky Sports from 5pm on Saturday; kick-off 5.30pm
Friday 2 January 2026 18:40, UK
Welcome to The Radar, a Sky Sports column in which Nick Wright uses a blend of data and opinion to shed light on need-to-know stories from up and down the Premier League. This week:
🔴 Odegaard's unique value to Arsenal
📈 Is Man City's best yet to come?
🔍 A player to watch this weekend
Odegaard's return to form
Martin Zubimendi started his run as soon Martin Odegaard began to drive towards the Aston Villa box and did not stop until he reached the corner flag, by which point he was celebrating a first-time finish from an assist he would later describe as "perfect".
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Odegaard's pass had taken six defenders out of the game, allowing his team-mate to beat Emiliano Martinez without needing to break his stride. "When Martin has the ball, you have to run because he has the quality to see these passes," added Zubimendi.
The precision of the pass was vintage Odegaard and called to mind the words of Daniel Nielsen, his former coach at his boyhood club Stromsgodset in Norway. "I've worked with a lot of really good players but I know what a football looks like when it's been passed by Martin Odegaard," he told Sky Sports last year.
Odegaard was of course a uniquely gifted teenager. "Technically, he was ridiculous, and his work ethic was out of this world," added Nielsen. "It translated into a totally different touch on the ball, a totally different level of passing, anticipating, attracting defenders."
A decade on, his performance against Aston Villa was an exhibition of those same qualities. The assist for the second goal was a standout moment but there were many others. Odegaard led the team for touches, chances created, shots and final-third passes.
It followed a similarly influential display against Brighton, when Odegaard guided the opening goal into the net with the same characteristic exactness displayed in his passing. The Arsenal captain finally looks back to his best, injuries overcome.
"Now, you can see that he is flowing, that his energy level is back to where it is," said Mikel Arteta after Tuesday's game. "He is taking risks and affecting the game in a great way."
Odegaard struggled to exert his usual influence in a disappointing campaign last season. His captaincy was questioned, not just by fans but by Tony Adams. When Arsenal signed Eberechi Eze in August, many felt he would take his place in the side.
Five months on, it is Eze who is struggling for minutes.
Eze brings different qualities. Odegaard does not have his explosiveness or one-on-one prowess. But few players can match him for pure creativity. There has been plenty of evidence of that this season, despite the interruptions of shoulder and knee injuries.
Odegaard ranks fourth for chances created per 90 minutes and third for chances created in open play. The incisiveness of his passing can be seen in his numbers for through-balls, line-breaking passes in the final third and passes into the box.
Arsenal's summer recruitment has equipped Arteta with a squad stacked with quality in all areas. Four points clear at the halfway point of the season, they have already shown they are much better able to manage injuries to key players, Odegaard included.
At his best, though, the 27-year-old's offering remains unique.
He has been described as a "technical leader" but he carries the same influence out of possession, working tirelessly to stifle Arsenal's opponents, orchestrating the press and forcing turnovers like the one from which he set up Zubimendi's goal on Tuesday.
Odegaard won possession more times than any other Arsenal player across the games against Brighton and Aston Villa. Over the course of the campaign so far, Arsenal have won 10 of the 11 games he has started, scoring 26 goals and only conceding four.
His challenge now is to build on his recent performances, starting away to Bournemouth, live on Sky Sports on Saturday. But he can count on the support of his manager. Recent evidence shows Odegaard remains a fixture in Arteta's team when fit.
He has embraced a slightly different role. Many anticipated Martin Zubimendi would be a like-for-like replacement for Thomas Partey as a fixed No 6. Instead, the Spain international has been encouraged to rotate with both Odegaard and Declan Rice.
His goal against Aston Villa, when he ended up one-on-one with the goalkeeper from Odegaard's pass, was a perfect example of the positional fluidity. With six goal involvements, Zubimendi has already matched Partey's total for the whole of last term.
The rotations are proving difficult for Arsenal's opponents to handle and Odegaard has shown his tactical intelligence in adapting to what is required. The team's average positions compared to last season show he is operating deeper.
The numbers underline his continued influence in the final third, despite that change. Nielsen, meanwhile, appreciates the subtleties of his game as well as the defence-splitting passes.
"I can't watch a match with him and think about the actual match.
"I just watch every time he touches the ball. I'm always going back five seconds from when he receives the ball, because that's when you see the real quality of Martin.
"For me as a coach, the most unbelievable thing is how he moves before getting the ball and how he prepares himself to receive it.
"It's just brains on a different level."
Four points clear in spite of their injury issues, Arsenal's prospects look brighter than ever now that he is showing that level again.
Man City can get stronger too
While Arsenal can take encouragement from Odegaard's return to form, Manchester City have reasons for optimism too. They lost ground on the Gunners with their draw at Sunderland but Pep Guardiola was relaxed afterwards and understandably so.
Rodri's return, as a second-half substitute at the Stadium of Light, will be worth more to City than the two points they dropped there on the basis of his performance. The side were totally transformed by his half-time introduction for Nico Gonzalez.
The Ballon d'Or winner has suffered injury setbacks since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament last season but he looked his old self on Thursday. Jeremy Doku, back from a leg injury, also excelled, perhaps drawing motivation from the anticipated arrival of Antoine Semenyo. City's best may be yet to come.
Player Radar: Who else to keep an eye on
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has hit form for Leeds but there are promising signs from the player who replaced him at Everton too. Thierno Barry made it two goals in his last four starts against Nottingham Forest and will hope to trouble Brentford on Sunday.
Live Radar: What's on Sky this weekend?
There are two Premier League games live on Sky on Saturday as Aston Villa face Nottingham Forest at 12.30pm, live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 11.30am, before Arsenal's trip to Bournemouth, kicking off at 5.30pm.
Sunday brings a wealth of viewing options with Everton vs Brentford, Fulham vs Liverpool, Newcastle vs Crystal Palace and Tottenham vs Sunderland all available to watch on Sky Sports from 2pm, kicking off at 3pm, ahead of Manchester City's meeting with Chelsea at 5.30pm.
Read last week's Radar column
Is it service or performances? Viktor Gyokeres's difficult start to life at Arsenal was the focus of the last column.
