Why Martin Odegaard has been so good for Arsenal as "frightening" claim made by former Gunner

Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard is having an exceptional commencement to the play acknowledgment to the "pressure" of winning the Premier League rubric present yet off, an ex-Gunners winger has exclusively told Sports Mole.

Mikel Arteta's men apical the Premier League array aft 4 rounds successful 2026-27, acknowledgment successful nary tiny portion to the rejuvenated Odegaard, who has already quadrupled his extremity full from 2025-26.

The Norway planetary bagged conscionable 1 extremity successful each tournaments past season, but helium has already struck 4 crossed the Premier League, Community Shield and Champions League, astir precocious firing successful the victor against Napoli past Wednesday.

Despite not straight contributing to a extremity successful Saturday's 2-0 Premier League triumph implicit Sunderland, Odegaard's contributions did not spell unnoticed, arsenic the 27-year-old created 5 chances and won 5 of his six crushed duels astatine the Stadium of Light.

Asked by Sports Mole wherefore Odegaard was thriving aft his struggles successful 2024-25 and 2025-26, Jermaine Pennant theorised that the playmaker is simply enjoying the state that comes with winning a Premier League, and a fully-fit and firing Odegaard is simply a "frightening" imaginable for the remainder of the league.

Why has Martin Odegaard been truthful bully for Arsenal this season?

"Maybe it’s the information that they won the Premier League and the information that they yet got implicit the line," Pennant said. "The pressure, the accent of bottling it, and coming 2nd 3 times and not getting implicit the enactment - that tin each adhd unit to a player.

“Now he’s playing with state - they’ve won the league - there’s isn’t arsenic overmuch unit to spell and triumph it again. Obviously, they’d similar to, but erstwhile you’ve got implicit that hurdle, you’ve got escaped of that happening that’s been holding you backmost for truthful long.

“That’s astir apt wherefore we’re seeing the champion of him. He’s having a large commencement - he’s scored much goals already than helium did past season. We each cognize however bully helium tin be, and successful that position, helium is 1 of the champion successful the league arsenic well. It volition beryllium frightening if they’ve got Odegaard firing connected each cylinders."

Odegaard returned to Arsenal for the 2026-27 play aft a standout World Cup with Norway, whom helium captained to the quarter-finals portion providing 4 assists successful 5 appearances.

The 27-year-old has besides stayed wounded and illness-free truthful acold this word aft missing 45 games for nine and state crossed the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons, mostly due to the fact that of superior ankle, genu and enarthrosis problems.

Will Martin Odegaard motion a caller Arsenal contract?

Odegaard's stellar commencement to the existent play comes aft the erstwhile Real Madrid starlet was concisely linked with a daze exit from the Emirates during the summertime transportation model conscionable gone.

The 27-year-old is successful the last 24 months of his declaration with the Premier League champions, and his repeated fittingness issues successful the past 2 campaigns led to suggestions that Arsenal could portion ways with their skipper.

However, Odegaard's exit would person been highly unpopular with his teammates, and a transportation was ne'er earnestly considered, but his declaration concern present needs addressing by Andrea Berta.

Back successful January, Charles Watts said that Odegaard would beryllium successful enactment for declaration talks, though negotiations could beryllium to beryllium much analyzable than immoderate of his teammates owed to his presumption arsenic skipper and his two-year struggles.

There person been nary steadfast reports of negotiations taking spot successful caller months, but if Odegaard continues to radiance successful reddish and white, expect question connected the declaration beforehand heading into 2027.

Jermaine Pennant was speaking to Sports Mole connected behalf of NetBet Casino.