Martin Odegaard scored Arsenal's winner against Chelsea, with Mikel Arteta saying his captain is fit again and playing with some of the highest confidence he has seen.
Mikel Arteta believes Martin Odegaard has returned to the new season with a point to prove after the Arsenal captain scored the winner against Chelsea.
Odegaard made it 2-1 five minutes into the second half at the Emirates, arriving onto Christos Tzolis' pass after Kai Havertz allowed the ball to run across him.
Arsenal had been behind after only 77 seconds through Morgan Rogers. Havertz got them level before the break and Odegaard completed the comeback.
Arteta was asked afterwards what had changed for his captain following some more difficult periods over the previous campaign. Fitness was the first thing the Arsenal manager brought up.
“He feels confidence wise, I think one of the highest that I've seen him and he has a point to prove from last season as well and after missing so much football.”
Odegaard is not the only attacking player Arteta has struggled to have available regularly.
Havertz and Bukayo Saka also missed long periods last season, and Arteta brought both into the same answer when discussing how different things can look when those players are available together.
“And when that happens, Kai the same, Bukayo the same. We missed so many attacking players last season for long long periods. I don't know how many times they play together those two in the last year or so but probably not much and when you start to feel the chemistry that they have between them and what they can produce is great.”
All three started have started every game for the Gunners this season.
Havertz had already scored Arsenal's equaliser by the time he was involved in Odegaard's winner. Tzolis played the ball towards the German near the edge of the box, but he left it for Odegaard to run onto and finish past Emiliano Martinez.
It was Odegaard's second league goal of the campaign. Doubling his tally from last year across all competitions.
The manager was just as interested in other parts of his performance.
Odegaard had an effort blocked before half-time and continued to get into attacking positions after the break. Arteta spoke about seeing him take shots and create for the players around him, something he linked to how much the midfielder is enjoying his football again.
“He's enjoying his football and when you are that and you have to enjoy what you do you have to play with real intent and that's what I love seeing today. He was running forward, he took shots, he created so many situation for his teammates.”
Arsenal won the Premier League despite Odegaard's interrupted previous season, while their Champions League run went all the way to the final before ending in a penalty shootout defeat.
Next, they begin their European campaign away to Napoli.
Odegaard goes into that game having started the season alongside several of the attacking players the Arsenal manager had been without at different points last year and looking like they're clicking.
The subject came back to him at the end of Arteta's press conference.
Asked whether the “point to prove” he had mentioned was partly about adding more goals, Arteta did not limit it to one part of Odegaard's game.
“First of all, because he demands himself so much, he wants to be the best at everything and perfect at everything. And being imperfect in certain things, but being so efficient in other things is great as well and he's playing with real joy and he was phenomenal today.”