Goals from midfield. Arsenal have been crying out for more of them in the last few seasons. Thankfully, in the last month, something has clicked.
Since the start of December, Martin Odegaard, Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka have netted 10 league goals between them and, in the process, have taken the heat off Mikel Arteta following his decision to drop Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
It’s little wonder the manager is pleased.
Odegaard has been so impressive that, in some quarters, comparisons with David Silva have been made. Having worked closely with the Spanish playmaker at Manchester City, Arteta is wary of the parallels even if they are made in good faith.
“That’s a big name,” said Arteta. “My opinion is David is the best I’ve seen playing between the lines for the last 20 years.
“Martin has got a tremendous quality and the capacity to unlock situations and put players through to generate open spaces in tight areas.
“I’m really happy [with him] and now he’s improving in his goal threat as well so we have a big player there that is very willing to become one of the best, but it’s still very early.”
Arteta is similarly reticent to speak in specifics about Smith Rowe’s development. What’s clear is that he’s enjoying working with a kid who continues to produce consistently whether starting matches or coming off the bench.
“We don’t know [how good he can be],” Arteta said of Smith Rowe after the Norwich game.
“What I know and what I expect is what he does all the time. He works extremely hard, he’s an extremely humble boy and he has a really special connection with this football club.
“His talent is obviously unquestionable, but he needs his team-mates, he needs his environment, he needs a cool head and he needs a very clear direction of what he wants to become. Time will tell.”
Producing against the biggest side’s in the league is the next challenge for Arsenal’s young pretenders. They’ll have a chance to do exactly that when Manchester City visit the Emirates on New Year’s Day.
MO is looking to be a great bit of business at £35m. ESR Needs a 10 year contract and a statue
Ok I take it back. Get rid of them both
Yeah Marty has been amazing in the last month. I think the Silva comparisons are about as apt as there can be. He’s maybe not quite there yet, but on the pathway. And he really flourished, like Mikel says finding space between the lines. I also see some Mesut in him, but he’s far better than Mesut defensively already and right now he’s really adding to our efficient press that has been brilliant since the Everton and Manure fuck ups. Still amazes me how much our press has improved basically overnight. A few of us (Futsboller and a couple others)… Read more »
Hopefully MØ does more than MÖ
What a difference an umlaut makes…
I’ll say it again: fast forward 2 years and MO is our established captain and fast becoming an Arse legend.
Rather than comparing them to David Silva, Bergkamp, De Bruyne, Fabregas etc. I’d much rather we focus on who Odegaard and Smith Rowe are, and how we as a club create an environment where they can thrive and become elite players (for us).
If they reach their considerable potential with us, it puts us in a far better position and gives us the ability to compete at the very highest level.
That’s what the gaffer said.
Oh come on, you know you love player comparisons as much as everyone else. They’re a bit of fun. You’re just spouting another over-used phrase by saying “rather we focus on who [they] are”…
Apparently, we don’t all think alike. What a shocker. Oh, sorry..that phrase is overused.
😂
Honestly, I would rather we focus on their development than players that have either retired, left us or never played for us.
Agreed, what’s the point in comparing players when we know number 1 is Perry Groves, number 2 is Perry Groves, number 3 is Perry Groves, number 4 is Perry Groves, number 5 is Perry Groves, number 6 is Perry Groves, and number 7 is Liam Brady.
Who’s number 8?
Odegaard 😉
Once Pep inevitably gets bored abnd and leaves and Klopp loses appetite I can see us ahead of the curve of development
Ozil and Cesc > David Silva in between the line.
Nope. David silva could do everything they could do offensively but his workrate and positional intelligence were a notch above.
Mesut was arguably the best counter attacking footballer in the world in his prime, and if he wasn’t than his team mate at the time at Real (CR) was. Cuntinho had that real team playing some of the greatest all time direct football – they were just an incredible attacking force. I always felt we never really used Ozil that well because under Wenger when we had Ozil we played too slow. We cramped his spaces, which allowed him to get kicked off the pitch and made his work difficult. No doubt Ozil is a brilliant player between the lines… Read more »
People talk about CR7 and goat.
That’s disrespectful to somebody like Iniesta, who was miles ahead of what Ronaldo has ever been
Iniesta was in a class of his own.
Truly magical player.
Odegaard was always going to be a better signing than Maddison. They’re both different players but Odegaard’s profile is similar to a Ozil, Cesc, etc which we’ve always had. ESR gives us all we would’ve gotten from Maddison.
Credit to the club on this one. Odegaard has such a high ceiling. I think people forget that. The move to Madrid was a bad one and kind of ruined his confidence a bit. I’m glad we have him and I’m confident he’ll fulfill his potential.
We basically traded Joe Willock for Ode. Great bit of business!
I don’t think we were seriously in for Maddison as we were for Buendia.
Either way, absolutely delighted we went with Odegaard.
You have to say we dodged a bullet with both Buendia. Maddison less so, but he has a dodgy injury record and we are trying to leave that one behind.
A dodgy record that has forced him off against Liverpool just now.
And he cost half of what Maddison woulda!!!
I still dream of a Viking accented ( like a pirate ) song for Ode… “ Aaayedegard, Aaayedegard oooye oooye oooye…kicks lika mule and he makes the women drool “. It is time for our fans to behave with the same level of joy, appreciation and commitment our players and manager do. 2022, Gooner be a fun one!
I think there’s a bit of Elvis about him so maybe something from the king would be more appropriate
I cant unsee the elvis now 😫
When I saw the fixture schedule 2 months ago, I thought I would be doomed for my birthday. I’ve been used to nice treatment, like that scorpion goal of the season by Giroud, a ManUre or Fulham smash… I know it’s hope that kills, though I dare to say that’s probably now that we can have a go a that City team: they’ll be complacent, they’ll party all night long for new years eve, Arteta and the team have something to prove… COYG !!!
Well, I must admit I am not as confident as some fans are about the city game, because for me, they are like well ahead on the development curve, maybe we can get there in 2 years from now if we maintain our ongoing upward development trajectory. However, in football, anything can happen, though we can’t match them quality wise right now, but who knows,
perhaps Arteta can pull a tactical masterpiece like he did before or hopefully they just pull a stinker on that day like can happen to any team sometimes, fingers crossed
Yeah, I’m trying hard not to expect too much. They’re a brilliant footballing team – rival for the title of the world’s best. We aren’t that for sure. Still, saying that…we can’t just keep rolling over in these big games and using the excuse “they’re just better right now”. Other much worse teams than us take points off them. We need a statement result…sooner rather than later.
Man City are the best team in the world right now – a draw would be a great result.
Never a truer word said
I’ll be very interested in Arteta’s tactical approach, given his familiarity with Pep and City. It won’t be the formula that worked in the FA Cup semi in 2020. Our recent form will encourage him (and the squad) to think we can play our football with City, and why not? A few new wrinkles could make the difference. We can score against them, and we’ll probably need three goals. It should be a great game.
I feel that if our back 4 (come back quick Tomi!!) plus Rambo can play a blinder… just be absolutely resolute and shithouse Sterling off the park, we may nick one or two on the counter and pull off an upset.
But Thomas, Ben, Gabe and Tomi need to play out of their skins – Rambo always does!
I don’t know much about Pep, but I think he would have instructed his players to delay the partying till the end of the season.
If we win Liverpool or City, I want it to be their strongest team and 100% performance… It’ll be a good indicator of our progress.
I read the headline and thought Allen was being facetious about xhaka and partey
Meanwhile, United and Spurs have dropped points since we last played.
Their outstanding matches are gradually becoming useless.
We would still be a point above United even if they won their 2 games.
Spurs still have to play Leicester away.
Top 4 race is shaping up nicely.
If we can hang on until the AFCON is done, and our players return unscathed, the run in would be really interesting.
“We don’t know how good he can be”… Man, I got chills!
Now if he could just get his best friend Erling to join!!
Honestly the club should be doing everything in their power to try this. He’s young enough that we can put in a champions League clause in his contract and he still move to real psg or whoever when he hits his prime if he wants out. (Hoping he wouldn’t as playing with our young core and smashing teams 5-0 week in week out should make him stay)
I think Haaland has RM written all over him. I have no doubt the Spanish clubs will find a couple hundred mil down the back of the sofa if needs be. I think Vlahovic is a realistic option though, even if we are just a stepping stone for a few years. And he’s- for want of a better term- a fucking monster. It’s a bit of a shame he’s having the season he’s having, as I feel like its taking him out of our territory and up into the Citys, Chelseas, and RM/ Barcas of the world. But check out… Read more »
Seriously, imagine haaland on this team… 🤤
So pleased that MØ is finally getting to use all his powers.
Arteta needs to find a way to encorporate MØ, ESR, Saka and Martinelli up front, in a way that works.
To me, thats Martinelli as striker, MØ behind, Saka and ESR on the sides.