Martin Odegaard destroys ex-Arsenal superstar Alex Iwobi with sublime bit of skill
On Wednesday night, Martin Odegaard impressed once again as Arsenal defeated Everton by scoring their third goal, alongside Bukayo Saka’s strike and Gabriel Martinelli’s two goals.
Odegaard’s standout moment was a skillful move where he turned a slide tackle into a neat touch, leaving former Arsenal player Alex Iwobi reeling.
The move took place during a 50-50 challenge in the middle of the pitch, with both players sliding in, but Odegaard quickly realized he would reach the ball first and cleverly pulled off a Cruyff turn to pass Iwobi. The victory extended Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League to five points.
Throughout the current season, Martin Odegaard has been a standout player for Arsenal, operating as the club’s playmaker after joining the Gunners on a permanent basis in the summer of 2021.
His performances have been impressive enough for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to make him captain, a responsibility that Odegaard has embraced.
However, ahead of Arsenal’s recent win over Leicester, Odegaard decided to hand over the captain’s armband to his teammate Oleksandr Zinchenko.
This decision was made in light of the anniversary of Russia’s invasion on Ukraine, which was being commemorated by the Premier League with all captains wearing special armbands.
The Norwegian said: “I was really happy to give Zinny the armband for the game. I knew that the Premier League were paying respects to Ukraine at the weekend’s matches, with all captains wearing special armbands, so we discussed it a bit in the dressing room with other players, then I went to the manager to ask him if we should give it to Zinny. He thought it was a good idea.
“Then on the day of the game, I spoke to Alex to see if he was comfortable doing it. It was just a small thing to show him some support because I know how difficult it’s been for him recently, the whole situation.”
Odegaard was back with the armband in the win over Everton, which had Arteta hugely impressed. He told the BBC : “I am delighted with the win and the way we played after the first 25 minutes. We had some difficulties at the start. They are difficult to play against. Once we scored the first goal, the game unlocked. We needed a magic moment and Bukayo produced that. After that we grew and deserved to win the game.
“With the way they play, direct, second balls, a small lead isn’t enough. We played really well in the second half and could have scored more. I am delighted when I see the team play the way we want to. This league is a different story [no easy games]. We had big proof of that at Goodison. They made it difficult for Liverpool to. I’m really happy with the maturity and quality we showed.”
Martin Odegaard destroys ex-Arsenal superstar Alex Iwobi with sublime bit of skill