Martin Odegaard has played an influential role in Arsenal's remarkable start to the Premier League campaign - and the midfield maestro has shown he is already thinking about the Gunners' title tilt ahead of their Boxing Day clash with West Ham.
Arsenal headed into the mid-season break five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the league but always knew that maintaining their advantage over Pep Guardiola's side after the World Cup would be a challenge.
The Gunners last claimed a domestic crown back in 2003 and have spent the last few years outside the Premier League's top four, while Manchester City have taken their dominance to new heights.
With that in mind, Arsenal have a huge task on their hand to stay one step ahead of the reigning champions - and their hopes of doing so have already been dealt a major blow with the news that star striker Gabriel Jesus could be sidelined for up to three months after undergoing surgery for a knee injury he sustained with Brazil at the World Cup.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta will be desperate to avoid any more injury setbacks before the Premier League resumes later this month. And so, it appears, does Odegaard, after the Arsenal skipper lost his cool with AC Milan boss Stefan Pioli during a feisty clash in the Dubai Super Cup.
Football.London highlighted how Odegaard reacted furiously after Sandro Tonali sent Fabio Vieira crashing to the turf with an elbow. After doing his best to break-up an on-field melee, the 23-year-old turned towards Pioli and raged: "F****** two times! It's a friendly!”
Odegaard's outburst during the match, which Arsenal went on to win 2-1, underlines the growing influence of the Norwegian international since he was appointed as the club's new captain earlier this year.
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After winning 12 of their opening 14 Premier League matches, Arsenal are once again legitimate title contenders. And Odegaard revealed last month that the excellent team spirit that has been fostered by Arteta and the Gunners' new-look team over the past 12 months has been spearheading their drive for glory.
Speaking on BT Sport’s Around The Block, Odegaard revealed: "The team spirit in the group is really good, everyone is really hungry and pushing each other.
"We get along well, that helps! And I think this year, with the signings we made, I think they have taken us to the next step in terms of mentality, quality and focus.
"Everyone understands the principles, the way we want to play even more. [Mikel Arteta] is so focused. It is quite intense. He knows what he wants, but everyone understands if you do what he says, we will perform good."
