"Leading by example, on and off the pitch" - Bukayo Saka heaps praises on Arsenal teammate after 2-0 win over Newcastle

Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka has lavished praise on teammate and captain Martin Odegaard after his side's 2-0 win over Newcastle United.

The Gunners locked horns with the Magpies on Sunday (7 May) at St. James' Park. Odegaard opened the scoring in the encounter with an exquisite strike from outside the box in the 14th minute. The Norweigan international put in a great performance overall.

Newcastle's Fabian Schar got on the wrong side of the scoresheet after Gabriel Martinelli's attempted pass into the box deflected off the defender into the back of his own net.

Following the encounter, Saka spoke highly of his Arsenal teammate and lauded him as a great leader. The Norwegian midfielder received the captain's armband ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Saka said (as per the club's official website):

“He’s a fantastic leader, he has been all season. He’s been leading by example, on and off the pitch. Hopefully he can continue this form."

The England international then spoke about the importance of Odegaard's first-half goal and its impact on the match. He added:

“We needed that goal because we were under pressure early on. The first few chances definitely went their way and they had a penalty shout too. After that we scored a fantastic goal, from then we controlled the game."

Odegaard has been in stellar form for the Gunners this season. The Arsenal captain has registered 34 Premier League appearances, scoring 15 goals and providing eight assists.

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"He’s really helping the team" - Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on Martin Odegaard's performance against Newcastle

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has also praised Odegaard for his impressive performance against Newcastle. The Spanish manager lauded the Norwegian midfielder for the leadership and consistency he has shown over the course of this campaign.

Arteta said after the match (per the club's official website):

"The leadership he is showing and the levels of consistency which is what you demand from those leaders. It’s not moments, it’s every single day.

"Home and away, he's had some huge performances, he’s really helping the team, he’s growing in the right direction. We are all very happy to have him."

Arsenal have now closed the gap to league leaders Manchester City to just one point after their win over the Magpies. However, the Gunners have played one game more than Pep Guardiola's side, meaning the Cityzens have the opportunity to increase the gap to four points.

It remains to be seen whether the North London outfit can secure their first league title in almost two decades.