Journalist Josh Bunting has just been raving about Martin Odegaard’s ‘outstanding’ free kick for Arsenal during their mid-season friendly in Dubai.
Bunting took to Twitter following the Norwegian’s strike against Milan, which he described as ‘utterly magnificent’.
The game finished 2-1 to the Gunners, with Reiss Nelson netting the other goal as ex-Chelsea defender Fikayo Tomori scored for the visitors.
The sides then battled it out in a penalty shoot-out for an additional point in the Dubai Cup, with Arsenal defeating the Italian champions 4-3 on penalties.
As well as Odegaard and Nelson, the likes of Thomas Partey, Ben White, Gabriel and Fabio Vieira all started.
Bunting stated: “That Martin Ødegaard free-kick is outstanding, the technique is utterly magnificent. A player who has really come out of his shell this season, always had that technical ability. But this season, he’s become a little bit more street-wise. Has so much quality.”
TIF Thoughts on Bunting’s comments…
To put it simply, we agree that the free-kick from Odegaard was simply stunning. It was expertly placed into the bottom corner and no ‘keeper is stopping that one.
Arsenal paid £30m (plus bonuses) to sign him permanently from Real Madrid in the summer of 2021, with the Norway captain having spent the second half of the previous season with the club.
The 23-year-old has been a real source of goals and creativity for Arsenal this season. He has eight goal contributions from 13 Premier League games – which is only three off his tally from last season’s campaign.
When it comes to creating and scoring, Odegaard is one of the best in Europe when compared to other midfielders in Europe’s top competitions. The Arsenal skipper is in the top 1% for shot-creating actions, as well as for expected non-penalty goals and assists. In addition, he’s in the top 4% for non-penalty goals scored (as per FBref).
It’s clear that Arsenal have a real talent on their hands, and if Odegaard continues his fine form, he could well be a big factor in winning the league for the Gunners.