Odegaard holds the key to title hopes – three ways he transforms the Gunners

ARSENAL's recent resurgence has unsurprisingly coincided with Martin Odegaard's return from injury.

The Norwegian is Mikel Arteta's captain and very much the leader of the team.

Arsenal look a different side when he is in the starting line-up, and they missed him dearly when he was out with an ankle injury.

He makes them tick, and was at his best last weekend in Arsenal's 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest and in the 5-1 Champions League win against Sporting Lisbon.

Ex-Chelsea legend and BBC pundit Pat Nevin could barely contain his excitement at the way he pulled the strings.

He said: “The mutual understanding of Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard was extraordinary, bordering on psychic.

“The latter played at a different level to everyone else and several levels above every Forest player.

“Odegaard was sublime, almost balletic, seeing spaces, sliding into them and effortlessly making passes that his opponents couldn't even imagine. It all reminded me of Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva at their peak.

“Arsenal with Odegaard back in the starting lineup looks as good, if not better, than ever, and this was without the rested Declan Rice and Kai Havertz.”

Here are three ways he is making Arsenal a much more formidable team and why he holds the key to the Gunners' title aspirations this season.

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Combinations on the right

Arsenal's form dipped while Odegaard was out injured, winning just three of their seven Premier League games.

Given the quality of the Gunners, opponents tend to sit deep and try to cut off the passing lanes to Saka – some even double or triple him.

But with Odegaard in the team and as a central midfielder on the right in Arteta's 4-3-3, Arsenal are much more dangerous.

Jurrien Timber combines with and runs behind the defensive line

This creates space for Odegaard to receive the ball from Saka and then deliver a dangerous cross to the far post.

With Odegaard out, we saw the likes of Thomas Partey, Mikel Merino, Rice and Jorginho play in midfield, but they lack the creativity and positional awareness of the captain.

The only player who possesses similar qualities is prodigy Ethan Nwaneri, 17, calling for him to get more minutes.

Odegaard is comfortable moving wide into the channels to overload the opponent and pull players out of position.

It gives Saka more space and therefore Arsenal are not dependent on one player to break a deep defensive block.

Odegaard comes out to receive the ball wide and Timber runs in. These interchanging movements are difficult for opponents to deal with.

Finding space

Odegaard is a midfielder who offers value to Arsenal, both in the way he finds angles to play progressive passes and in his positioning and movement to receive progressive passes.

He constantly scans and moves into areas where he is difficult to pick up.

When Rice has the ball, Timber moves inside to support.

Odegaard shifts and positions himself centrally in a bit of space to receive the ball and combine with Jorginho.

These quick passes help Arsenal move the ball up the pitch with purpose and break Forest's compact defensive shape.

Although Odegaard's positioning and movement is very good, his technical level is sublime.

The ex-Real Madrid star can receive passes in the final third and has the poise to release an attacking player like Saka into positions that damage the last line of the opponent's defence.

Once again Rice is in possession and as he turns forward, Odegaard's movement and positioning allows the ball to be played through and beyond the opposition midfield.

Without the 25-year-old playmaker, they simply don't have a player who can find those positions consistently, and deep defenses can frustrate them.

Creating space for Saka

When Odegaard was missing from the Arsenal team we saw a decline in Saka's form.

This was because teams started trying to double or even triple him.

With Odegaard on the team and positioning himself higher, we see opponents being pulled apart as they try to keep him and Saka quiet.

To accommodate the Norwegian's positioning, they are unable to commit as many players to cover the threat of the England winger.

Arsenal's number 8 can receive centrally and then drive into the heart of the opponent's defensive line.

A left back or left-holding midfielder then faces a dilemma. Lock down Odegaard and leave Saka open or stay on Saka and give a player of Odegaard's skill time on the edge of his box.

And in the next example, Odegaard is in position to receive the ball in the channel.

His positioning has drawn a defensive player to the ball and Saka can pick up the ball 1vs1 against the full-back where he is simply unplayable.

On Gaard

Odegaard is perhaps Arsenal's most important player.

Not only is he the club's captain and leader, both on and off the pitch, he is key to providing the link between midfield and attack.

Without him the Gunners are one-dimensional, much less dangerous and will not win the title.

With him they have a much better chance, although Liverpool may not agree…