Arteta explains Odegaard’s impressive Arsenal revival

Martin Odegaard has emerged as one of Arsenal’s standout performers at the beginning of the new campaign, with Mikel Arteta attributing the midfielder’s resurgence to improved fitness and a more advanced role.

The Arsenal captain scored the decisive goal as the Gunners secured a 1-0 Champions League victory away to Napoli on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, making it four goals in his first five matches across all competitions this season.

His latest strike came just days after he scored the winner against Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday, September 6, 2026, underlining the Norwegian’s remarkable turnaround after a difficult 2025/26 season.

Odegaard managed just one goal in 36 appearances last season as injuries restricted his involvement. However, he has started the current campaign in considerably better physical condition and is making a greater contribution in attacking areas.

Arteta believes Odegaard’s availability has been fundamental to his improved performances.

“First of all, he needs to be available, and last year he missed so many games through injuries,” said Arteta after the Napoli match.

The Arsenal manager also pointed to the midfielder’s developing understanding with his teammates as another reason behind his improved displays.

“He’s got that edge and different relationships around him as well, and that helps,” said Arteta.

“He can start to go by different heights in the team, especially in the attacking phase, and when we get him into those positions, he’s a really dangerous player.”

The change is reflected in Odegaard’s positioning. His average number of touches inside the opposition penalty area has increased from 2.5 per 90 minutes last season to 4.3 this term.

Arteta believes Arsenal’s improved ability to move the ball forward has allowed Odegaard to operate higher up the pitch and find more dangerous spaces.

“We have a lot of players that can take the ball there and progress the ball much better than we did in the past,” Arteta explained.

“When that happens, [Odegaard] needs to take different heights and angles and positions in order to disorganise the opponent, and he’s done that really well.”

Summer recruit Christos Tzolis has also developed an effective partnership with Odegaard. The winger already has four assists this season, with three of them setting up goals scored by the Arsenal captain, including the winner in Naples.

Arsenal created numerous opportunities from different areas of the pitch at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. They registered 26 attempts on goal, their highest total in the Champions League since records began being kept in 2003/04.

Their expected-goals figure of 4.05 further illustrated how many chances they created, although Odegaard ultimately provided the moment that separated the two sides.

“That’s what we need,” said Arteta. “The players with the mindset to decide a game and play with personality. To keep taking chances and risks.

“He’s getting into those positions much more in recent games, and now you feel he has the emotional state that he knows the ball can go in, and he scored an incredible goal tonight.”

Odegaard flourishing in an advanced role

Odegaard’s influence was evident from the opening stages against Napoli. He regularly demanded possession, found pockets of space and attempted to unlock the home defence with forward passes.

His winning goal came at the end of a 29-pass Arsenal move, with the midfielder producing a superb finish from the edge of the penalty area.

The strike took his tally to four in five games, a remarkable improvement on the single goal he managed throughout the whole of last season.

Odegaard’s contribution extended well beyond his goal. He finished the match with more touches, passes and chances created than any other player on the pitch, making it difficult for Napoli to contain him.

One particularly impressive moment came when he produced a scooped pass to send Ben White through, although Piero Hincapie failed to convert the resulting opportunity.

Odegaard appeared to be playing with greater confidence and freedom, regularly attempting passes and movements that could unsettle Napoli’s defensive structure.

“Martin is contributing goals,” added Arteta after the game. “That is obviously impacting results which is what we want from our attacking players, to be decisive, and certainly he was that today.”

Arsenal will hope their captain can maintain that level of influence as they continue their Premier League and Champions League campaigns.

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