In Praise of Martin Odegaard

All hail Arsenal's captain, leader, saviour

Hello!

Thanks to my inability to realise I didn’t post this piece properly to all my lovely readers before jetting back from Lisbon yesterday, I’d better do it right now today (Thursday, November 28) now I’m back safe and sound, and completely refreshed after a restorative long dog walk earlier, following three intense but utterly memorable days burning the candle at both ends in the sublime Portuguese capital.

See you tomorrow with a new post.

Come on you Gunners!

Cheers

Layth

………..

Bom dia from a sunny Lisbon! (written on Wednesday, November 27)

It’s the morning after the night before and I think we can safely say we’re all still absolutely buzzing after one of the finest European away performances in Arsenal’s history.

Apologies for a basic post this fine day, the reason being I’m writing this quick note on my phone sat in the sunshine on the cobbles outside a busy cafe in central Lisbon, because, well, life’s too short to always have my nose in my laptop which remains in my bag under my seat.

Laid out on the table in front of me are the Portuguese national sports dailies, along with an expresso, and two deliciously addictive pastel de nata’s.

Although I can’t read a word of Portuguese, Google translate is helping me savour Arsenal’s astonishing victory last night, by deciphering some of the headlines.

Some of which include “Lions Without Claws” pointedly including a picture of Viktor Gyokeres on their front page.

While O Jogo goes with Sporting “wither against the cannons” adding the team were “unable to cope with the Gunners power.

I’ll do a proper round-up of my trip tomorrow, suffice to say that I caught up with old pals in downtown Lisbon a few hours after the match, and stayed drinking with them until I bailed at 530am, so I’m feeling it a bit today…even if our early morning was full of joy and laughter. Amazing what a decent result can do for the spirits isn’t it. Or maybe it’s amazing what spirits can do after an amazing result.

Either way, I absolutely love Lisbon, and am reluctantly departing such a wonderful city, as I start to gear up to head to the airport, where I hear there are storms and torrential rain aplenty back in Blighty.

Anyway, what a result, I don’t think anyone saw that coming, even if Martin Odegaard is now back fit and firing.

Quite simply, the Gunners display was utterly astonishing amid such a raucous atmosphere.

It was the third time I’d covered a Sporting Clube de Portugal vs Arsenal clash at the noisy Estadio Jose Alvalade - and by far the most memorable yet.

In Praise of Martin Odegaard: captain, leader, saviour

I was chatting with Portuguese journalists on the way to the press box before the game last night and it was interesting to learn their (high) opinion of Arsenal and their genuine bemusement from afar as to why Arteta’s side hasn’t been at the top of the Premier League given the last two years.

I agreed and tried to explain that it was because Arsenal had suffered injuries and suspensions that badly affected the team and hadn’t really hit top form because of the fact.

But mostly because we were badly missing our captain, Martin Odegaard, who simply makes everything tick.

I knew it sounded slightly trite when the words came out of my mouth, but I genuinely feel that it’s the truth.

We’ve seen just how much Arsenal suffered without Odegaard, just how intrinsic he is to making Arsenal tick, and while we all knew how important he is, his absence simply amplified just how vital he is.

His talent, technique and temperament, which allied with his vision and creatively, melded to an outstanding work and team ethic, not to mention his eye for a goal, let alone his ability to play between the lines, while also freeing up space for talented colleagues because of his threat, all add to a making Odegaard Arsenal’s most influential player.

It was a joy to watch from the Sporting press box the 25-year-old unassuming Norwegian pull the strings to propel arguably the strongest side Arteta has had the fortune to field this season, to one of the finest results in the club’s European history.

And now Odegaard’s back fit and firing I genuinely believe we can go on another long run of domestic victories similar to last season, and start to close the gap on leaders Liverpool, who let’s face it, have had a perfect season so far - meaning that such a fact surely can’t continue.

While I have to congratulate Arne Slot on seamlessly, er, slotting in (sorry), after Jurgen Klopp’s departure, it will surely be interesting to see how they cope when the dreaded injuries and suspensions start to kick- and they surely will, it’s impossible to expect a side to avoid such vagaries across 10 long and gruelling months.

Because losing Odegaard for two long months while we attempted to cope without such a talismanic figure would be the equivalent of Liverpool losing Salah. Or City losing Rodri, er, what’s that you say…? The fact we have just about managed to cope without such a vital cog is testament to the squad Arteta has assembled - and I for one am so excited about the coming weeks and months now we have our captain, leader and savour back.

I also told the Portuguese journos that I expected City to beat Liverpool on Sunday, because, as I said: “Lose and that’s the Premier League over for them…” even if the looks I received were a mix of incredulity and shock.

Anyway, back to The Arsenal - we’ve also suffered from not having Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber appear regularly on either side of the best centre-back pairing in the Premier League, the whole backline being excellent last night, especially when standing up to Sporting’s attempt to pull a second goal back.

If you add another superbly unsung performance from Thomas Partey, not to mention the resurgence of Gabi Martinelli, as well as the all-round world class abilities of Bukayo Saka, the future once again looks bright as the Lisbon sunshine.

Which reminds me, I’d better have one more pastel nata for the road…

See you back in Blighty tomorrow…

Come on you Gunners

(Written on Wednesday, November 28 but failed to send as I was probably too busy focusing on my pastel di natas…