Martin Ødegaard (25) has set the tone for a title-chasing Arsenal this season, and has garnered praise from several teams.
The latest in a long line is the former Premier League striker Chris Sutton and the renowned Daily Mail journalist Ian Ladyman, who recently discussed Ødegaard’s contribution against Chelsea in the podcast “It’s All Kicking Off”.
The duo believes that Ødegaard is approaching the level of Manchester City’s playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, and that the Norwegian should be included in the discussion when the player of the year in the Premier League is to be named after the end of the season.
Jonas (20) shakes the top of the world
– Beautiful to look at
– The player who stood out for me was Martin Ødegaard. Watching him make passes, how he appreciates the football, how he controls the rhythm of the game, how he measures and weights those breakthrough passes to players like Kai Havertz. It is magnificent to look at, says Ladyman and continues:
– I think he is approaching Kevin De Bruyne level, and that is a huge compliment, because we know how good a reputation De Bruyne has in English and European football. I mean Ødegaard is getting close.
Sutton completely agrees with his partner:
– Ødegaard is interesting, isn’t he? Because you know, since he was young, everybody talked about him and you wondered if that would affect him, the pressure that was on him, but no. I think Arsenal have had several players who have delivered consistently this season, but he is the one who sews everything together, there is real quality in his passes.
The former Blackburn attacker believes Ødegaard sees things faster than most of the other players on the ball island.
– Should never have said that
– How is it possible?
At the same time, the Norwegian national team is drawn into the discussion.
– I thought about it this morning, it’s strange to say, but if Ødegaard wishes he had been born in another country… Because it must be difficult to be so talented and never have played in a big tournament. Norway has not played in a major tournament, in an EC or WC final, during Ødegaard’s career.
Norway last played in a play-off in the 2000 EC in the Netherlands and Belgium. Ødegaard was born in December 1998.
– Imagine being Martin Ødegaard and Erling Haaland, and playing in a team that ends up six points behind Scotland in the EC qualifiers. How is it possible? How is it possible? Ladyman says, laughing.
Norway failed to qualify for the summer EC play-offs after finishing third in the group behind Scotland and group winner Spain.
