Martin Odegaard has praised two more of his teammates in his latest programme notes.
Before **Arsenal**host **Liverpool**at the Emirates Stadium, the club captain commented on a pair of players who have produced the goods for the Gunners in recent weeks. One is a central defender who quickly bounced back from an error in his first away game since his injury in the international break while the other is a ‘super sub’ who has asserted his significance to the starting eleven this season.
*“We came back well, especially given the way we started [against **Bournemouth*], and the way we gave that goal away. For Gabriel Magalhaes as well, it’s tough to start a game like that, so for him personally to come back into the game the way he did – and for the team generally – was massive. The way Gabi bounced back to get his goal so soon after the mistake sums up his character.
“He’s so competitive, he always wants to win and wants to do his best every single time for the team. Mistakes are part of the game and especially for the guys at the back and the goalkeepers, when they make a mistake, it’s normally more visible. All credit to Gabi - to just bounce back, get his goal and put on a strong performance and help the team to win is brilliant. That’s how you have to react.
“I saw that Leandro Trossard has won our Player of the Month award for December, and he really deserves it – he’s a top player. I don’t want to say he’s underrated, because all of us here know what he can do, but on the outside I get the feeling he can go under the radar a bit sometimes.
“But he’s always performing. He’s so competitive, he wants to win at everything. Even when we play the board game Parchis on the bus, he is desperate to win! You can see that on the pitch as well.
“He’s always fighting for every ball, and he produces a lot - goals and assists, and big moments, he’s always there. He’s a top player for the team, it’s important to have characters like him.”