Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has revealed that he does not talk "too much" to Manchester City striker and fellow Norwegian Erling Haaland about the Premier League title race, while admitting that the former Borussia Dortmund ace is "smashing it" this season.
After drawing 1-1 at home to Everton, Pep Guardiola's side have lost ground in their bid to overtake league leaders Arsenal since the start of the New Year. Haaland yet again found the back of the net as City took the lead against the Toffees, but a wonder-strike from Demarai Gray saw the visitors snatch a point.
It was a bitter blow in their pursuit to claw ground back against Arsenal, only made worse when the Gunners went on to beat Brighton 4-2 later that evening. The recent results mean that City find themselves seven points adrift of Mikel Arteta's side and only two points clear of Newcastle in third place - albeit with a game in hand on the Magpies.
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It is clear that Haaland will continue to play a vital role in City's bid to win their fifth Premier League title in six seasons. The Norwegian has been scoring at an unparalleled rate this term and only needs to find the back of the net 13 more times in 22 games to match the record for most goals scored in a single campaign.
Although the personal accolade will of course be important for the 22-year-old, retaining the title will be the main objective for both himself and the team. Yet Arsenal are proving more than worthy adversaries and show no sign of letting up the relentless pace they set before the World Cup break.
Odegaard has been instrumental to their recent form and is currently the joint-top scorer for the North London club. The midfielder will be all too aware just how big a role Haaland will play in trying to stop the Gunners winning their first title since 2004, yet the former Real Madrid man admitted that he has not spoken to his compatriot much about the battle for top-flight success.
When asked if the pair had spoken, he told football.london : “No, not too much, to be honest. Yeah, just happy for him doing well, scoring goals for fun. He’s smashing it, so very happy for him.”
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