Arsenal are in a very strong position to finish in this season's top four and star midfielder Martin Odegaard has played an instrumental role.
Signed for a fee believed to be in the region of £30million from Real Madrid, the 23-year-old has delivered consistent performances for the Gunners since Arsenal's Premier League encounter against Manchester United back in December.
Incredibly secure between the lines under pressure, pivotal to ball progression between the middle and final third, a plethora of creativity in tight areas and a crucial cog to the team's overall pressing ability are just a few of the qualities Odegaard has been offering, with his partnership with Hale End graduate Bukayo Saka improving as each game passes by.
The Norway captain has been showered with immense praise by Arsenal fans and he has recently spoken about how he loves 'the passion' from the fans here in England - despite it sometimes being "a bit much".
"The atmosphere in England is different to anywhere else I’ve played,” Odegaard said to Arsenal.com.
"I love the passion from the fans here – how much they care about football and their own team, and also the connection they have with the club. There are lots of traditions here in English football that I love and I think it’s a great place to play."
Odegaard then spoke about the love Gooners have given him, admitting that while it can be a bit much sometimes, the passion they showed ahead of his arrival is something that has stuck with him.
"I’ve met plenty of fans when I’ve been out to eat or things like that," he added.
"It’s easy to see the interest people have, and that they really, really care about the team. It’s probably more on social media though than in public – Arsenal are pretty big on social media!
"I get a lot of messages, especially when I was about to sign here. The fans were really pushing for me to come, they were messaging me all the time, messaging my family and everything!
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"It was something new to me, sometimes it can be a bit much, but in general, I think it just shows the passion they have and how much they care."
Odegaard will be hoping to continue his fine form in the north Londoners' next Premier League encounter which is away at Watford next Sunday.
