Martin Odegaard appears to have put a difficult, injury-hit campaign behind him, delivering a commanding display that suggested Arsenal's captain could be poised for a standout season following the club's Premier League triumph after a 22-year wait.
Manager Mikel Arteta has continued to bolster his squad since that success, bringing in Bruno Guimaraes for a reported £75m fee. The Brazilian made an immediate impression during a 45-minute cameo, and midfielder Mikel Merino has already suggested that Arsenal now possess the strongest set of central options anywhere in the game. With Odegaard, Guimaraes, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze and Merino all competing for places, it is a claim that carries considerable weight.
Odegaard's technical gifts have rarely been questioned, but last season's form was inconsistent, partly due to injury problems, and some former players openly debated whether he was the right man to wear the captain's armband. His latest outing did much to silence that discussion. Among Arsenal players who featured, Odegaard led the way in passes completed (55 of 58 attempted), dribbles (three from three) and possessions won (nine), underlining the influence he still exerts on proceedings when fit.
Despite the physical setbacks, Odegaard managed to finish last season in good condition and carried that form into the World Cup with Norway, starting five of his country's six matches and contributing four assists.
"Last year was really a big struggle with a lot of difficult moments. To miss so many games because of injury was really frustrating," Odegaard said. "It is the worst thing for a footballer to not be able to be on the pitch and I had quite a lot of weird injuries, and bad luck."
He added that ending the season with a league title and a strong tournament with Norway helped shift his mindset heading into the new campaign. "It was good for me to end the season with a title, here, and then a good World Cup. Then I had my break and I feel good, ready to go again," he said. "What I have just worked on is to use that as motivation for this year and to come back stronger. And to use all of those experiences in a positive way."
The early signs of a productive partnership with Guimaraes were also evident in their first start together, with Odegaard describing an instant understanding between the two. "Sometimes you are just in the flow. You need to find that on the pitch," he said. "All of us were flowing pretty good out there. I will just try to keep that up and keep going."
Arteta, too, sounded optimistic about what a fully fit Odegaard could bring to the team this season, pointing to the lengthy spells on the sidelines that disrupted his rhythm last year. "He missed five or six months for different things and it was extremely difficult for him to get any momentum," the Arsenal boss said. "So I'm sure this year if we can maintain him fit, available with the players around him, we're going to see a very different Martin."
Arteta went further, suggesting that Odegaard's determination was clear from the moment pre-season began. "I sense from the first day that he joined [pre-season training] that he has something else on the belly that he wants to prove and show, because the team needs it as well," he said.
With competition for places intensifying across midfield, Arsenal's captain may find that the presence of talents like Guimaraes only sharpens his own performances as the club look to build on their title-winning campaign.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport Football.