LISBON, Portugal -- Just when Arsenal were starting to wobble, Martin Odegaard produced a match-defining moment of quality. Manager Mikel Arteta will hope that can apply to their season as a whole after a difficult run of results in which the absence of their captain was keenly felt.
Managers bemoaning injuries is nothing new -- and it can often serve as a useful distraction from other issues -- but Odegaard's return from an ankle injury has coincided with a dramatic upturn in their performances, continuing with Tuesday's impressive 5-1 demolition of Sporting Lisbon in the UEFA Champions League.