How Odegaard's passing and pressing can decide north London derby

Adrian Clarke looks at key tactical points and players who can be influential in Matchweek 35.

Player analysis - Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)

Leading from the front, in and out of possession, Odegaard’s form could be the difference in Sunday’s north London derby.

Arsenal's captain supplied two excellent assists in the 5-0 win against Chelsea in midweek, on a night where he created eight chances, his highest total in a Premier League match.

Based on recent displays, the 25-year-old has never looked sharper, more confident or as effective than he has since the turn of the year.

If Tottenham Hotspur do not get to grips with the division’s most influential attacking midfielder, he can hurt them with his quality.

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Leading man

No top-flight player has created a greater number of chances in open play than Odegaard this season, who is currently 14 in front of Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes.

The Norwegian is enjoying the best campaign of his career to date as he always looks to probe and pierce the opposition defence with a slip pass.

A tally of eight goals and eight assists does not do justice to the high standards he has set.

Most chances created in open play 23/24

Odegaard has also been the master of through-balls, sending 35 behind opposition defences in 2023/24, eight more than West Ham United playmaker Lucas Paqueta in second.

And he has been electric in this calendar year alone, easily topping of the rankings in those two departments.

Most through-balls and chances created 2024

Spurs will not change

Ange Postecoglou has repeatedly insisted his tactical philosophy will remain the same.

Spurs will attempt to knock Odegaard and his team-mates out of their stride via aggressive pressing, and it is a style that Postecoglou demands, with his side playing high-tempo football and squeezing forward to apply pressure on the man with the ball. 

If Arsenal can bypass the press, Postecoglou’s high defensive line may then be exposed, just as it was several times during their chastening 4-0 loss at Newcastle United a few weeks ago (see the image below).

This is a risk the Australian head coach is always willing to take.

If space is left in behind a back four that will be shorn of first-choice left-back Destiny Udogie, Odegaard is certainly playing well enough to pick out runners in behind.

This outstanding pass for Kai Havertz (see image below) was one of the highlights of their thumping win against Chelsea.

Who will mark Odegaard?

While Odegaard will roam anywhere to try and impact matches, he loves occupying half spaces between the opposition’s left-back and left-sided central defenders.

In that zone he combines well with Bukayo Saka and Ben White, often trying to work angles so that he can slip them into the box.

The former Real Madrid man has made 21 chances for Saka this season, 10 more than he has for any other team-mate.

Many of Arsenal’s opponents find Odegaard a difficult player to pin down, and the job of containing him will likely be a shared responsibility.

When the midfield in front of him steps on for a press, centre-back Micky van de Ven will at times step forward and engage him.

That’s the type of task the impressive Dutchman enjoys, but it may cause Spurs a problem if he is bypassed and left out of position.

Left-back Ben Davies will likely have to stay with Saka, so there will an onus on their central midfielders to slide across and screen service into Odegaard.

It will be interesting to see which two of Pape Sarr, Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg are selected in midfield, with none of them in great form recently.

The importance of keeping Odegaard quiet is clear.

In Europe’s top five leagues no player has made more successful passes into the penalty area or set up a greater number of shot-creating actions.

Creative stats in Europe's top five leagues 23/24

Stats from FBref

Battle for control

Postecoglou may view the best method of taming Odegaard and his in-form team-mates as gaining control of this match through possession.

Spurs can dictate matters, having averaged 62.5 per cent of the ball in home matches.

Mikel Arteta’s side have developed a robust shape out of possession - as we saw in the goalless draw at Manchester City – so they will be content to drop behind the ball on occasion.

However, as they have done in many away matches in 2023/24, I would expect the Gunners to try and wrestle control of the ball too.

They will see this as the best way to quieten the vociferous home support, and with three points required, they will want their attackers on the ball inside Spurs territory as often as possible.

As you can see from this Odegaard shot assist map below, he is capable of making chances from anywhere inside the final third.

He had more touches than any other player against Chelsea, and Arsenal would love for that to be the same on Sunday.

The other side of his game

Odegaard also happens to be one of the most industrious players in the division.

Out of possession he joins Havertz in a 4-4-2 to trigger the press, and with Spurs struggling badly to handle Newcastle's closing down in their last match, I expect Arsenal to be hostile in this facet of their play.

A lot of the time, Odegaard’s initial groundwork leads to a turnover produced by somebody else, but his numbers are still strong.

Only two top-flight players, including Saka, have regained possession inside the final third more often than Arsenal's captain.

Possession won in final third 23/24

He is just as important to the team in this area of the game as he is when looking to prise open defences.

There are matchwinners everywhere you look on both team sheets ahead of this north London derby, but when it comes to who will likely influence the match the most, Odegaard is the name that stands out.

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