William Saliba is praying Martin Odegaard stays injury free as he summed up his importance to Arsenal by calling him one of the world’s best midfielders.
Arsenal have looked a different team since Odegaard returned to action, as they rifled eight goals past Nottingham Forest and Sporting Lisbon to secure two wins that have done wonders for morale; there was certainly a swagger about the players as they left Estadio Jose Alvalade on Tuesday night.
It would be ridiculous to call Arsenal a one-man band but one man’s influence should not be underestimated, as Odegaard’s guile and creativity – not to mention his leadership – has seemed to release the tension in those who had struggled during his absence.