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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Ed Aarons at Philips Stadion

Martin Ødegaard changes the narrative to make patched-up Arsenal dream big

Martin Ødegaard on the ball at the Philips Stadion.
Martin Ødegaard on the ball at the Philips Stadion. Photograph: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

If there was a moment that epitomised how Arsenal were going to approach what had appeared to be an extremely tricky away assignment against PSV Eindhoven then it came in the 20th minute of this surprisingly one-sided first leg. Already leading through Jurriën Timber’s header, a cross from Leandro Trossard eluded everyone in the box but Martin Ødegaard had already set off in pursuit of the ball. His attempts to keep it in play eventually came to no avail despite a desperate slide, yet the Arsenal captain had set the tone.

Two minutes later, Ethan Nwaneri had etched his name into the history books again as the third-youngest goalscorer in the Champions League knockout stages, and Arsenal were well on their way to a statement win that will live long in the memory of the 1,800 Gunners fans who witnessed it live.

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