Martin Ødegaard is enjoying a remarkable upturn in form as Arsenal's captain rediscovers the attacking instincts that once made him one of the Premier League's most feared creators, now adding a lethal edge in front of goal.
The Norwegian's latest contribution came in Arsenal's win over Chelsea, when he arrived at the back post to convert a delicate touch from Kai Havertz, lifting the ball over goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez to hand his side a lead they would not relinquish. The move bore striking resemblance to a goal scored weeks earlier in the Community Shield against Manchester City, when winger Christos Tzolis cut inside from the left and squared the ball for Ødegaard to finish smoothly past Gianluigi Donnarumma with a clever fake shot.
Both goals reflect a deliberate shift in how Mikel Arteta is deploying his captain. Rather than sitting deep as a conventional No 8, Ødegaard is now making far more forward runs into the penalty area, timing his movement to exploit space created by wide players cutting inside. The numbers back up the eye test: Ødegaard is averaging 3.2 high-intensity runs per 90 minutes into the opposition box this season, more than double last season's figure of 1.4. His off-ball runs designed to offer teammates a crossing option have also surged, from 0.65 per 90 last term to 2.8 this campaign — a more than fourfold increase.
The results have been immediate. Ødegaard has already scored three goals in four appearances this season, matching a rate far beyond his solitary strike in 36 outings during the whole of last season. Only Chelsea's Morgan Rogers joins him among Premier League players currently boasting at least 1.0 expected goals and 1.0 expected assists, a statistic that underlines the completeness of his attacking game. He also ranks among the league's most involved players in shot-ending sequences, taking part in 20 such passages of play and leading the division for sequences in which he both took the shot and contributed to the buildup.
The change in role appears connected to how Arteta is using Kai Havertz, who has increasingly operated as a false nine rather than a traditional target man. That approach demands more support from runners beyond him, a gap Ødegaard has stepped into. Havertz, while not the most natural finisher, has shown intelligence in creating for others, as seen in his clever touch that set up Ødegaard against Chelsea.
Ødegaard's resurgence follows two injury-hit seasons in which recurring knee problems limited him to just 40% of available Premier League minutes last term, despite Arsenal winning the title. Prior to that dip, he had started 32, 37 and 35 league games across three consecutive campaigns, underlining how central he had been to Arsenal's rise before fitness issues intervened.
His form appears to have carried over from a productive World Cup with Norway, where his side reached the quarter-finals. Only Michael Olise registered more assists at the tournament than Ødegaard's four, suggesting the international break provided a platform for his club form to flourish.
Competition for his starting spot remains, with Eberechi Eze having deputised effectively for large stretches of last season. However, Arteta continues to favour Ødegaard centrally, valuing his defensive contribution, tactical positioning and ability to organise Arsenal's pressing structure.
The challenge now is consistency — both in output and fitness. Should Ødegaard maintain his current trajectory, he could surpass his career-best haul of 15 goals in all competitions from the 2022-23 season. For an Arsenal side already looking formidable, a fully firing captain adds another dimension that will concern rivals across the division.
Based on reporting from The Guardian and Opta Analyst.