Arsenal Training Session
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has made a bold comparison (Picture: Getty)
Mikel Arteta has compared the ‘chemistry’ of Arsenal duo Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard to Barcelona legends Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Sergio Busquets.
Barcelona’s famous trio are considered to be among the best midfielders of their generation and helped the Catalan club win many trophies.
Arteta, who has ties to Barcelona from his playing days, is adamant that he sees similarities between the three icons and two of his current stars.
Odegaard and Saka have been in fine form for the Gunners of late and Arteta was directly quizzed about their chemistry in a press conference.
‘I’ve seen centre-backs, I’ve seen midfielders between them having… I always think about Barcelona with Xavi, Busquets and Iniesta – it was unbelievable,’ Arteta said when asked about Odegaard and Saka.
‘They didn’t even need to look at themselves. Our two centre-backs – naturally there is a chemistry there that is unbelievable.
‘So try to develop those more and more, because there is something there that is very difficult to put a number to it. But it’s close in a natural way and the more relationships you have make the team the better.’
Arsenal FC v Nottingham Forest FC - Premier League
Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka have been in fine form (Picture: Getty)
Arteta also spoke about Saka’s rise over the last few seasons, having deployed him as a left-back in his first game as the club’s manager against AFC Bournemouth in 2019.
‘Day by day, I started to understand him and see the skillset and the relationships he could generate in the team,’ Arteta added.
‘I was convinced that long-term, medium-term [left back] wasn’t his position and the team needed another kind of threat, creativity and that he could provide those moments.
‘We moved him, first to the left and then to the right, and we started to see naturally it was the position in which he felt more comfortable.
‘He [now] has a massive role in the team. He is deciding matches for us.
‘He has earned the right to be that way but at the same time he has stayed so humble, close and charming to everybody.’
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