Odegaard's duel with De Bruyne can be decisive

Adrian Clarke looks at key tactical points and players who can be decisive in Matchweek 23.

Arsenal v Man City

Martin Odegaard and Kevin De Bruyne are two of the Premier League’s best modern playmakers heading into the match between Arsenal and Manchester City on Wednesday.

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With 27 direct goal involvements between them so far this season, they are elite creators in excellent form, but that does not tell the full story about their capabilities.

Incredibly industrious in their approach to regaining possession, Odegaard and De Bruyne are just as influential at setting the tone with their attitude and off the ball work.

Closing down

Pressing and counter-pressing will form a crucial part of the tactical battle in north London.

Mikel Arteta’s side are much improved in this department, lowering their PPDA (Passes per Defensive Action*) stats from 13.6 last term to just 11.4.

Their hostile man-to-man approach in the first half of January’s FA Cup fourth round tie at the Etihad Stadium, successfully limited Man City’s ability to play out from the back, so it will be interesting to see if they repeat this tactic.

City have not been quite as intense with their own closing down (PPDA is up from 10.1 to 12), but they remain excellent at regaining the ball in advanced areas.

Selfless attitude 

De Bruyne and Odegaard both like to instigate a press.

Leading by example, Arsenal’s captain has a strong desire to pressurise opponents and his enthusiasm has had a positive knock-on effect to his team-mates.

That selfless work ethic has long been a recognised trait of De Bruyne too.

Odegaard v De Bruyne possession won stats

Remarkably, both men have featured for exactly the same number of minutes this season, which makes it nice and easy to compare their output.

Odegaard, 24, who is seven years younger than De Bruyne, covers an extra 0.5km per 90 minutes and wins the ball back on a more frequent basis.

Odegaard's assist v Brighton

Inside the final third, it is City’s No 17 who holds the marginal edge, working hard to steal the ball from opposition defenders.

In terms of winning possession back from inside the final third, these are two of the very best in the division, with De Bruyne ranked second, while Odegaard is fourth.

With Thomas Partey and Rodri such key men for Arsenal and Man City in the single pivot role, you suspect De Bruyne and Odegaard will be charged with the task of unsettling them.

When full-backs invert into central midfield, they will also look to hunt them down.

The similarities between these two talents does not stop there.

Both men like to play on the right of a midfield three rather than in an orthodox No 10 role, so Arsenal and Man City’s left-hand sides will be tested.

Former Man City defender Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel will need to communicate well to shut off De Bruyne’s space in those infield pockets.

The same will apply to the likes of Nathan Ake and Aymeric Laporte as they seek to contain Odegaard.

Odegaard v De Bruyne goals and assists 2022/23

De Bruyne’s productivity remains outstandingly high and no one has created more goals or big chances that him in 2022/23.

Odegaard also makes plenty, but he shares the load with his team-mates, who make up half of the top eight for most chances created in open play. 

Watching these two elite players vying for the upper hand in this top-two showpiece promises to be an intriguing spectacle.

* PPDA explained

Also in this series

Part 1: How much would Man City miss Haaland against Arsenal
Part 2: Guardiola: Arsenal are the best team in the league
Part 3: Arteta: Arsenal's challenge is to reach Man City's level
Part 4: Arsenal v Man City: What to look out for as top two collide
Part 6: Watch five of the best Arsenal v Man City goals
Part 7: Watch top five Arsenal v Man City moments
Part 8: Match preview: Arsenal v Man City
Part 9: Every time Arteta didn't celebrate against Arsenal at Man City