"He's floating on the pitch at the moment"- Ian Wright heaps praise on in-form Arsenal star

Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright has lauded Gunners midfielder Martin Odegaard for his recent impressive performances. He was particularly stellar in his team's 3-2 victory over Watford at Vicarage Road last weekend. Odegaard scored Arsenal's first goal and also played a key role in the build-up to their third.

Odegaard joined Arsenal on a six-month loan deal from Real Madrid in January 2021. The 23-year-old was impressive but was criticised for his lack of output - two goals and two assists in 20 appearances.

Manager Mikel Arteta, however, was impressed enough to sign him from Real Madrid for €35 million last summer. The youngster has grown by leaps and bounds this season, becoming a first-team regular. Wright has heaped praise on the midfielder, remarking on his podcast, as quoted by HITC:

"We have to mention Odegaard as well; did you see Odegaard for that first goal? The backheel he did to get in and then to finish. Odegaard man, he's floating on the pitch at the moment, he's floating over the grass."

He continued:

"Everything you see about the way Saka is playing, Martinelli's finish, the way Odegaard is playing. It is happening; there is a vibe, and they are starting to believe."

Odegaard has scored five goals and provided four assists in 27 appearances across competitions for the Gunners this season. The Norwegian has formed a formidable partnership with Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Alexandre Lacazette in attack.

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Arsenal must continue their progress to keep hold of their young talents

Watford vs Arsenal - Premier League

The Gunners are currently in fourth place in the Premier League table, a point ahead of fifth-placed Manchester United but have three games in hand. That has largely been due to the performances of their young talents.

Saka has bagged eight goals and four assists in 29 games, while Smith Rowe has garnered ten goals in 25 games this season. Gabriel Martinelli has bagged five goals and provided three assists in 24 appearances. Shot-stopper Aaron Ramsdale is widely considered one of the signings of the season, keeping 11 Premier League clean sheets.

These performances have caught the attention of Europe's top clubs. It's noteworthy that talented players like Cesc Fabregas, Ashley Cole and Samir Nasri, left the Emirates to boost their chances of silverware. That is something Arteta would look to avoid.

The Gunners must qualify for next season's Champions League and begin challenging for trophies to keep hold of their current talented crop of youngsters.