Depending on what section of the Gooners faithful you pose this question, some Arsenal die-hards will tell you that he’s already the best midfielder in the world! While it isn’t the wildest call, Martin probably needs a couple more years replicating the blistering form he has shown this season before he can enter the conversation with Luka Modric and Kevin De Bruyne.
In today’s game, where bang-average talent is commanding the fee of a superyacht, the fact that Arsenal managed to secure the signature of Norway’s captain for less than £30 million is astonishing. He is one of the biggest reasons why Arsenal is doing so well. Although the league has slipped away in the finishing straight, the future looks bright with this magical Norwegian leading the team out at the Emirates.
First, About the Mikel Arteta Philosophy
Mikel Arteta’s vision to bring Arsenal out of obscurity and back into the higher echelons of English football is a plan that has been in the making for several years. Unfortunately, building a team and a philosophy that works is very rarely done overnight. It usually takes years of meticulous planning, the right signings, and a little luck to push you over the finish line.
It’s challenging to find anybody who thought Arteta’s men would smash through the dominance of Manchester City and Liverpool as genuine title contenders. You’d have landed some great odds for it at the beginning of the season, with some bookmakers offering odds of around 50/1. It can be hard to find value in gambling; operators are usually savvy and won’t give much away. However, gambling companies have been aiming for a way to make the experience even more accessible for potential punters. Crypto casino gambling is the latest of many innovations designed to facilitate a seamless experience where you can connect your cryptocurrency wallet and play immediately.
How Ødegaard Fits into The Arteta Philosophy
It’s difficult to say just how valuable Martin is for Arsenal. In just over two years, he’s propelled the club to a new dimension and become captain. Moreover, despite being a midfielder, he has a better strike rate than many competent strikers currently plying their trade in the Premier League.
Having been missing a true cosmic talent that can operate just behind the striker and see the passes and moves that not many other players in world football can see, Arsenal have one of the best midfielders in the world firing on all cylinders. Ødegaard has played some sublime football this season, with many Arsenal fans on the edge of their seat whenever he picks the ball up. He has proven that he can be the big game player that has been missing at the Emirates for the best part of a decade.
It takes a special type of player to light up the Emirates; the standard has been so high for many years at London’s biggest club. However, Real Madrid identified his talent, given they paid millions for him before he turned 17, so the ability has always been there, it just took the right manager to unearth it.
2022/23 Season
If Martin can keep up this form, then there’s no reason the Gooners can’t go on and rechallenge for the league title again next season. It’s unchartered terrain for Arteta, and although he operated under Guardiola for years, it seemed like he lacked that title race experience to push Arsenal over the finish line.
Nevertheless, Martin talks like a winner and plays like one; he’s a proper Arsenal player.
It’s been an incredible season for a club that has won 13 league titles, and it looks like a 14th should be on the horizon soon if Arsenal can keep hold of the spine of the team that has performed so exceptionally well this season.
Despite how it ends this season, Martin has shown he can operate at the highest levels of English and European football. Although this has been evident from when he was a youngster playing in Norway, this season has been a breakthrough with 14 goals in 33 Premier League games and his best years ahead of him.
Conclusion
There’s a crop of new midfielders coming through with sensational ability. Martin is one of them, but over the next few years, you would imagine that he will be contending on the world stage against the likes of Jude Bellingham, Pedri, and his Arsenal teammate, the magical Bukayo Saka.
Not only can the talismanic Norwegian dictate the pace of games with his phenomenal touch and vision, but his keen eye for goal takes him to the next level as a player with no weaknesses. He’s already in this conversation, but if he replicates this season’s form and can win a big trophy with the Gooners, you’ll be able to make a solid case for him as the world’s top midfielder.
