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BBC pundit says Mikel Arteta has decided to do something ‘interesting’ with £30m Arsenal player
Matthew Upson made a comment about Martin Odegaard just before Arsenal kicked off against Porto on Tuesday night.
💯The 44-year-old was covering the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash for BBC Radio 5 Live.
So, what did Matthew Upson say about Arsenal No.8 Martin Odegaard? Let’s take a look…
Matthew Upson surprised Mikel Arteta made Martin Odegaard captain
꧂Well, the former England international said it is an “interesting choice” from Mikel Arteta to make the Norway international captain of Arsenal, given the 25-year-old’s quiet nature.
🔯Upson : “Martin Odegaard doesn’t necessarily exude what you expect from a captain. It is an interesting choice, but he leads by example on the pitch.
♔“You can lead in many different ways, you don’t have to be pumping your chest and shouting, body language, presence and all the rest of it are important. His consistency has been superb, he does it in his own way.”
🦄Yes, Odegaard may not be a Roy Keane or Patrick Vieira type warrior of a captain, but as Upson states, he leads in different ways, mainly through his courage and willingness to always receive the ball.
Arsenal No.8 is the perfect captain
🍷The Norwegian never hides for Arsenal, and seems to actually want possession even more in games where so much is on the line for the Gunners.
🌌Tuesday’s victory over Porto was the latest example of that, as Odegaard twisted Joao Mario in knots before sliding a beautiful pass into Leandro Trossard, who scored a crucial leveller for Arsenal to force a penalty shootout.
⭕You may also recall last season’s tense 3-3 draw against Southampton as the Premier League title race became very nervy.
ওOdegaard consistently took the ball as some of his teammates looked visibly nervous, also scoring an 88th minute goal to make it 3-2 and eventually help secure a 3-3 draw thanks to Bukayo Saka’s equaliser.
ꦛBrave actions like this out on the pitch make the man an ideal captain for Arsenal, with Arteta’s philosophy leaning heavily on the notion that nothing should be forced, even when there are just seconds remaining.
Odegaard – 🍰who Ally McCoist noticed was also covering for Saka at times against Porto🌠 – embodies this through his calm demeanour, which arguably portrays even more leadership qualities than someone who merely points and shouts.