Undoubtedly, Gabriel Jesus will steal all of the Arsenal headlines for his brilliant hat-trick against Crystal Palace in the EFL Cup.
As frustrating as Arsenal fans have found Jesus of late, there’s also so much good will towards the Brazilian succeeding at the Emirates Stadium.
To his credit, Jesus’ finish for the first of his three goals against Palace was superb – one you wouldn’t expect from a striker who hasn’t scored in north London prior for more than a year.
Jesus was excellent, and the confidence was definitely pulsating through his veins when he slammed two more finishes past Dean Henderson, who has actually been hard to beat of late.
That being said, Martin Odegaard’s own contribution shouldn’t be understated.
Martin Odegaard inspires Arsenal comeback against Crystal Palace
After his injury return, Odegaard was transformational for Arsenal, he immediately lifted Bukayo Saka and everyone else around him.
However, when things took a turn for the worse against the likes of Fulham and Everton, the Norwegian was then shouldering a lot of the blame – explaining the fickle nature of football at times.
Martin Odegaard of Arsenal reacts during the Carabao Cup Quarter Final match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at Emirates Stadium on December 18,...
Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
READ MORE: I saw £25m Arsenal player revive his career in 3-2 win over Crystal Palace
But against Palace, entering the game as a second half substitute, Odegaard well and truly made the difference, providing two assists for Jesus.
The midfielder, who cost Arsenal £30m back in 2021, seemingly came on to the pitch with nothing but the final pass in mind.
Odegaard was immediately looking to break Palace’s lines, something he was quickly able to do.
And whilst Jesus does deserve the bulk of the credit, Odegaard’s game-changing contribution shouldn’t go unnoticed either.
Mikel Arteta recognises Martin Odegaard’s contribution
Arteta was accused of making a mistake when he chose to remove Odegaard from the pitch in Arsenal’s 0-0 draw with Everton last weekend.
However, the Arsenal manager certainly proved that he knows how to manage his captain best against Palace.
And speaking after the game at his press conference, Arteta was asked about Odegaard’s impact as a second half substitute.
Arteta replied: “Good response. That’s what we want from all of them. That elevates the level and helps to respond to the team.”
A captain’s performance, leading by example, and it’ll certainly be interesting to see if Jesus’ performance was enough to earn him a spot starting just ahead of Odegaard against Palace again on Saturday.
Related Posts