Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard has earned glowing praise as "one of the world's best footballers" following a masterclass for Norway in their recent World Cup qualifier. Delivering a trio of assists, Odegaard played a pivotal role in Norway's 4-2 triumph over Israel on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old midfielder orchestrated goals for David Moller Wolfe, Alexander Sorloth, and Erling Haaland, contributing to a night where Kristoffer Ajer also found his name on the scoreboard. Meanwhile, Israel's goals were scored by Mohammed Abu Fani and Dor Turgeman.
Norway’s campaign is off to an unbeaten start, having already dispatched Moldova with a resounding 5-0 victory last Saturday. With an eye towards Arsenal's monumental Champions League quarter-final fixture against Real Madrid, Odegaard’s current form will surely excite the Gunners' faithful—particularly because the north London club has its eyes set on a trophy it has never claimed. Odegaard facing his old team makes the tie even more enticing, and his peak performance will be crucial for Arsenal to stand any chance of ousting the title-holders.
He is fantastic," Atletico Madrid striker Sorloth told Norwegian outlet VG. "Three assists speak for themselves and he is fantastic to play with on the right side."
Benfica star Andreas Schjelderup added: "He is one of the world's best footballers. The way he moves and plays football, you just have to enjoy it."
Odegaard isn't the only Gunner who shone during the international break, with Myles Lewis-Skelly making history as the youngest player to score on their England debut in a 2-0 victory over Albania in the opening World Cup qualifier. Ethan Nwaneri also found the back of the net for the England under-21s in their 4-2 triumph over Portugal, while Mikel Merino scored a crucial goal off the bench as Spain edged past the Netherlands on penalties in their UEFA Nations League quarter-final encounter.
Merino has been deployed as an emergency striker by Mikel Arteta following serious injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, and the 28-year-old has responded with four goals in seven appearances leading the line for Arsenal. William Saliba was involved in both legs as France overcame Croatia on penalties in their Nations League quarter-final, while fellow defender Gabriel featured in Brazil's 2-1 win against Colombia but was suspended for their 4-1 loss to Argentina.
Riccardo Calafiori, on the other hand, played the entire match as Italy fell to Germany in the first leg of the Nations League quarter-final, with the defender subsequently missing the second leg due to injury.
Join the football.london Arsenal WhatsApp channel
Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
Join our Arsenal WhatsApp channel and get all the latest breaking news, opinion, podcasts and in-depth stories from football.london's dedicated Arsenal writers straight to your phone!
By following this free service you will be the first to know the news from the Emirates Stadium as it happens, when it happens.
To join our dedicated Arsenal channel, all you have to do is click this link and you can join thousands of others following our Gunners coverage!
If you're curious, you can check out our privacy policy here.