Martin Odegaard said he is enjoying the best form of his career as Mikel Arteta considers how much game time to give the Norway captain on his hero's return to his homeland tonight.
The Arsenal boss is again set to rotate his team for the Europa League with Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko staying home in London. Eddie Nketiah, Rob Holding and Fabio Vieira all scored in the 3-0 win over FK Bodo/Glimt at the Emirates Stadium last Thursday to send the Gunners to the top of Group A.
All three will likely retain their places as Arteta makes wholesale changes to the team which beat Liverpool on Sunday to stay top of the Premier League - and adjusts his Europa League side. Cedric Soares could make his first start of the season replacing Gabriel Magalhaes in the centre of the Gunners defence while Gabriel Martinelli is set to be rested to give Reece Nelson a run-out.
But Arteta must decide how much time his captain Odegaard will spend on the artificial turf at the Aspmyra Stadion - and what role he will play beyond giving inside information on the Norwegian champions. .
The dozens of young fans gathered outside in cold temperatures before yesterday’s pre-match press conference suggested everyone wants to see the star who made his debut for Stromsgodset aged only 13 - and signed for Real Madrid aged 16.
“I don’t know what role he will play,” said Arteta. “Probably on the pitch at some stage. So I don’t know. Hopefully he can have a good time. Obviously it’s a really important moment for him. He loves coming to his country, you know how much it means to him. And it’s a good opportunity for him.
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“He started to get the spotlight very, very, early in his career and probably that’s why he is so mature at the age he is. He’s been around for so long that sometimes we forget how old he is. It’s his journey, he could not pick it, he was so good at that age, he got a lot of attention and he’s dealt with I think in a really positive way.”
Erling Haaland is the hottest player from the Nordic country right now but Odegaard has been a crowd favourite for a decade. “Yeah there were a lot of kids outside,” said the Norwegian. “I think they were training on the pitch next to the stadium.
“It’s good to see the reception and hopefully we will see them tomorrow, I think the atmosphere will be brilliant again and I think the fans here are really good, they did a good job at the Emirates as well, so I'm looking forward to the game and the atmosphere and hopefully it’ll be good to watch. I’ve played for the under-21s and the national team since going to Real Madrid but it’s been a while now since I played here.”
Asked if he thought he was playing the best football of his career, the 23-year-old Odegaard said: “Yeah I think so. I think I’ve developed a lot in the last few years. I’ve always been good on the ball but I feel like I’m developing different sides of my game now as well without the ball and hope to improve and affect the game in different ways.
“So I feel like I’m doing well and when the team’s doing well it’s easier for me as well. I’m really happy to be part of this team and the project and happy where we are at the moment but we want more too.”
Former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang this week tried to justify critical comments he made about Arteta after his acrimonious departure in January. “At the time I still had a lot of bad feelings in me,” said the new Chelsea striker. Arteta responded by saying: “People are free to discuss what they want.”
But asked about the mood in the Arsenal dressing room this season, the Spaniard said: “Phenomenal. I’ve never been in a better dressing room. More enjoyable, more hard working, better relationship with the staff and players and it’s an absolute pleasure to be a part of this group.”
The Arsenal head coach said “a few players that were injured” had also not travelled inside the Arctic Circle. “You will find out tomorrow,” he said. “I can’t give you everything!"
Arsenal predicted XI: Turner; Tomiyasu, Cedric, Holding, Tierney; Sambi Lokonga, Xhaka, Vieira; Nelson, Nketiah, Marquinhos
