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Theo Walcott waxed lyrical about Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard after the Norweigan helped his side beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 tonight (April 20).
Odegaard sealed the Gunners' victory in the 90+5th minute with a fine finish. The former Real Madrid playmaker beat Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa from a tight angle right at the death.
Leandro Trossard put Arsenal in front in the 45th minute as Mikel Arteta's side bounced back from their UEFA Champions League exit midweek. They displaced Manchester City at the top of the Premier League for the time being.
Several impressive performances were on display from the visitors at Molineaux, but Odegaard in particular caught Walcott's eye. The former Gunners star analyzed his goal on Sky Sports and explained why Arteta has built his team around the Norway international:
“Odegaard gets a bit of luck with the ball coming back to him but puts himself in that position he deserves it. He’s always involved in the big moments. Arsenal built their team around him and you can see why they did."
Odegaard, 25, has been in excellent form this season and has lit up the Premier League since arriving three years ago. He's one of the best creative talents in the English top flight, managing eight goals and six assists in 30 league games this season.
Martin Odegaard on the importance of Arsenal bouncing back from their UCL elimination
The Gunners Champions League dreams came to an end on Wednesday (April 17). Arteta's side crashed out of Europe's elite club competition after a 1-0 (3-2 aggregate) defeat to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals.
It was the first time Arsenal had made it to the quarterfinals since 2010 but that was as far as they'd go. Their only hope of finishing the season with a trophy rests on winning the league for the first time since 2004.
Odegaard stressed how vital it was for his side to show a response against Wolves after their exit from the Champions League. He told Sky Sports:
"Massive win for us, it was a tough week for us. I think a few tough results and [it was] hard emotionally but we had to keep going. Today was all about bouncing back and getting the win and we did that so I'm happy."
Arsenal moved to the top of the Premier League with former leaders City not in league action. They hold a one-point lead over the Cityzens having played a game more with just five games of their season left.
