Martin Odegaard has insisted that Arsenal "enjoy the pressure" of sitting top of the Premier League table with nearest challengers Manchester City five points away. The Gunners have picked up maximum points in 14 of their opening 17 games, only dropping points against Manchester United, Southampton and Newcastle.
Prior to the draw against Newcastle in Arsenal's last league outing, Mikel Arteta's side had not let one point slip from their seven games at Emirates Stadium, but the Gunners were prevented from scoring for their first time in the league this season by Eddie Howe's sturdy Newcastle defence.
The attacking quartet, that Odegaard is at the heart of, also involving Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus made a flying start to the season, but following an injury suffered by Jesus at the World Cup their joy in the frontline was thrown into doubt.
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However, Eddie Nketiah has thrived when filling the shoes of Jesus, scoring four goals in as many games since the domestic restart. Despite only being 24, Odegaard is the oldest member of the new attacking foursome, but speaking to The ArsenalVision Podcast, he insists that experience counts for more than age.
"We have a young group. We are probably the youngest team in the league but I still feel like we have a lot of experience," he said. "I feel like we have players who have been through a lot, myself [included] even though I'm young. I feel like the experience may be more important than the age.
Odegaard has consistently impacted Arsenal games this season, but perhaps only now are most people realising just how important he is to Arteta. Seven goals and five assists from the former Real Madrid man places him as the Arsenal player with the most Premier League goal contributions in this campaign.
Because of the attacking midfielder's impact, along with several other factors, the Gunners are right in the title race alongside Man City, who have won the last two league seasons, but Odegaard insists he and his team-mates don't feel under pressure, but instead are enjoying it.
"I think we enjoy this pressure. To feel that people believe in us. To feel that people take us seriously is a good thing. We are where we want to be. We want to fight to win things and to be at the top, that is where this club should be.
He added: "We're in a good position at the moment but we have to stay calm, to stay humble and keep working hard. There is still so many things we can improve. You can always get better so I'm excited to finish the season."
In recent years, Arsenal have struggled to make Emirates Stadium a fortress, but this season that has certainly not been the case with Liverpool and Tottenham both leaving north London empty-handed. Odegaard has put much of that down to the impact of Arsenal fans, particularly highlighting a key moment in the game against West Ham on Boxing Day.
"One of the most of the most important things for our success is the fans, the way we are connected," he said. "The connection we have is so special.
"I remember the West Ham game especially when we conceded the first goal, the whole stadium cheered for us and it helped us get back into the game. That helps us so much and the fans are such a big part of what we are doing now. We're grateful for all the love and support we get.
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