How Odegaard rediscovered his best form

Adrian Clarke looks at key tactical points and players who can be influential in Matchweek 26.

Player analysis - Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)

Arsenal have been razor-sharp in Premier League action since returning from the winter break, and nobody has performed with more pizazz than Odegaard.

Producing some wonderfully inventive football, the 25-year-old has been a dominant figure for Mikel Arteta’s side of late.

During a five-game winning run that has seen Arsenal score 21 goals, conceding only twice, the Gunners captain has created 20 chances, producing three assists.

An impressive 18 of those key passes have been from open play.

Brimming with confidence, if Newcastle United do not get a handle of the Norwegian playmaker it could be a long evening for them at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

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Odegaard creativity comparison

*Since 11 January

Since the start of December, Odegaard has mixed up his positioning a little more often than he did earlier in the campaign.

In the build-up phase, the Arsenal skipper is sporadically dropping into deeper areas to receive passes alongside Declan Rice so that he can prompt from deep.

Unpredictability is the reason behind this slight tactical tweak.

Last season Oleksandr Zinchenko habitually inverted into central midfield from left-back to set up a rigid 3-2-5 shape, that saw Odegaard play higher at the top of a midfield "box".

It largely worked well, but Odegaard was sometimes easy to mark when stood ahead of the ball.

By asking him to occasionally slip into the base of midfield to create overloads, it allows Arsenal to keep both full-backs wide, making the pitch feel more stretched for their opponents.

It will also occasionally lure Odegaard’s direct markers to follow him, leaving extra space for team-mates ahead of the ball.

While this example (below) takes place inside West Ham United’s half, you can see that by dropping off to receive a pass from Rice, Odegaard has lured James Ward-Prowse out of his protective defensive shape.

Ben White’s width distracts Emerson, leaving a nice hole for the Norwegian to slip a through-ball into the box for Bukayo Saka to score.

Saka's goal v West Ham

Facing defensive blocks more regularly this term, Arsenal know they must create better and more unusual angles to pull teams out of position.

The use of Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz as interchangeable false nines is another nod towards the need for greater variance in their attacking play.

Knowing the left-sided No 8, usually Havertz will often push on into a striker’s berth, it makes even more sense for Odegaard to sometimes operate deeper.

This passing zone comparison map from Sky Sports clearly shows how his role has changed, with a lot more of his distribution coming from inside his own half in the last three months.

Odegaard's passing zones 

Odegaard’s tactical intelligence is such that he can vary up his play seamlessly over the course of a game.

He remains Arsenal’s most effective presser in the final third, and if anything, his rotational movement has made him harder to track as a creative presence.

Since 26 November he has carved out four chances per 90 minutes, compared to 1.6 beforehand.

Enjoying an additional 22.6 touches a match too, rising to an average of 83.2 per 90, the Norway star is very much making the Gunners tick.

Master of the through-ball

This sublime pass to release Havertz for a 1v1 against Liverpool, leading to Saka’s opening goal, typifies how clearly Odegaard is seeing pictures at the moment.

Saka's goal v Liverpool

Drawing Virgil van Dijk towards him by dropping off the front, he sees the space and finds Havertz with a brilliant one-touch pass.

Odegaard's pass v Liverpool

Over the course of this campaign Odegaard has made 25 through-balls, five more than any other player.

And during Arsenal’s five-game winning streak this aspect of his play has shone brighter than ever, with the playmaker producing two through-balls in four of his last five appearances.

Odegaard through-balls comparison

*Since 11 January

Interestingly, Newcastle's Bruno Guimaraes has also been in good form when it comes to opening up opposition defences, so their battle will be fun to watch on Saturday evening.

When the Arsenal skipper drops off the front to receive passes in between the lines - and when he goes back into his own half - he is playing well enough to cause Eddie Howe’s side major problems with his distribution.

Up against opponents who produced a very defensive performance in a goalless draw in this fixture last season, Odegaard’s guile looks set to be crucial as the Gunners seek a sixth consecutive league win.

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