Former Liverpool captain Jamie Redknapp has named Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard as the Premier League’s top midfield player.
Reflecting on Arsenal’s dominant win over Fulham at the weekend, Redknapp was speaking to Sky Sports alongside ex-Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
“Normally you’d say Kevin De Bruyne is the best midfield player, not just in the Premier League but in the world”, said the ex-England international, before pointing out that De Bruyne is “not playing as many games as he’d like”.
He added: “Odegaard does this thing which all great players possess; it’s like time stands still when he has the ball.”
However, Hasselbaink was less keen to place Odegaard as being above the Belgian. The Arsenal captain currently has 10 goals and six assists in the league compared to De Bruyne’s four goals and 12 assists, something that Hasselbaink attributes to the two being different types of player.
“He’s always got a solution. He doesn’t have as many assists as De Bruyne because he’s not that type of player. But the other things he does, he’s doing them so elegantly and so well.”
Redknapp was keen to highlight Odegaard’s goalscoring ability after he scored the third goal at Craven Cottage. He emphasised “the calmness he possesses”, adding that Odegaard has “scored four or five goals like he did against Fulham, with that left foot”.
He also highlighted the Norwegian’s importance in leading the Gunners, with Arteta naming him as captain in July of last year.
“When he hasn’t got the ball he goes and presses it and it catches. He’s the captain, he’s the leader. He’s leading that team”.
Arsenal’s win at the weekend means they remain five points clear of nearest challengers Manchester City, who beat Crystal Palace 1-0 with a late Haaland penalty at Selhurst Park.
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