Martin Odegaard believes Arsenal are on the cusp of ‘something special’ under Mikel Arteta
- Planet Sport writer
- 7 March 2022
With Arsenal’s top four hopes beginning to gain serious momentum, midfielder Martin Odegaard has credited the team’s togetherness for their recent successes.
The Gunners powered to a 3-2 victory over Watford last Sunday as they leapfrogged Manchester United into the top four.
Mikel Arteta's men not only hold a point advantage over the Red Devils, but they've also played three games less than United.
Odegaard has underlined Arteta's influence and admitted he's never seen the level of togetherness as high as it currently is at the Emirates.
He said: "He [Arteta] gives a lot of trust to the young players and I think for him, the most important thing is what you do and not your age.
"So of course that was also important to me and especially how we want to play and I think that the way he wants to play football is good for me.
"The togetherness is something special here, I've never seen something like this in my football career and there's a lot of competition but still people just want the best for the team.
"We always want the team to win and the team spirit is really good and I think the connection we have off the pitch as well helps us on the pitch.
"It is definitely something special going on here and I feel like everyone really wants to get the club back up to the top, so that's the feeling behind it."
The 23-year-old joined the Gunners from Real Madrid on a permanent basis during the summer transfer window.
Martin Odegaard finishes a beautiful Arsenal move pic.twitter.com/QplnyDoYvH
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) March 6, 2022
Considering Arsenal's last two seasons have ended with eighth-place finishes, questions were raised about the Norwegian's motivation for joining the London outfit.
Odegaard admitted it was the club's "project" which attracted him to the Emirates adding: "The way the club and the manager wanted to do things, what they wanted to build here and how they they wanted to play and to improve.
"Also what they said about me and how they wanted to use me, how they saw me as a player and what I could bring to the team and what they could offer to me.
"It was just the combination of all those things and the big project that is going on here, I wanted to be a part of that."
Arsenal fans will also be pleased to hear that the midfielder is now beginning to feel at home in the English capital.
He said: "I have had time to settle down - for the last five years I've been all over the place with loans here and there.
"So I feel like I've finally got that stability and the calmness I needed. So I'm really happy, yes."
Arsenal return to action next weekend when they host an improving Leicester City side.
