Odegaard shows how influential he can be for Arsenal in Burnley win

Stefan Bienkowski

• 18 Sept 2021 17:28 BST
• 5 min read

Football is a remarkable sport because things can seemingly change in the blink of an eye.

This time last week Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was having to answer questions about his future at the club, but fast forward seven days and his team are celebrating an impressive 1-0 win over Burnley

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As Aaron Ramsdale and Kieran Tierney handed their shirts out to the travelling and delighted support at full time, Martin Odegaard then approached the crowd to a hero’s welcome.

The Norwegian midfielder had undoubtedly proved to be the difference maker on Saturday and was responsible for all three points going back to London.

A moment of magic from Odegaard

With 13 shots towards goal each, Saturday’s clash at Turf Moor was undoubtedly a will-contested match and it took a moment of magic from Odegaard to turn the game in Arsenal’s favour.

After Ashley Westwood pulled down an opposing player directly in front of the Burnley box, Odegaard then stepped forward to take a free-kick in a promising area. And despite seven opposing players making up the wall in front of him, the Norwegian talent then dinked the ball over the wall and into the top left corner of the net.

Not only was it Odegaard’s first goal as a permanent Arsenal player but it also showcased the kind of technique the former Real Madrid prospect clearly has in abundance.

How Odegaard can turn Arsenal’s season around

One of the main reasons behind Arsenal’s poor start to the season is down to the fact that the club sorely lack alternative sources for goals.

Pierre-Emerick Aybemeyang has already bagged four in five games, but after him are now just a handful of midfielders with one goal each to their name.

If Arsenal are going to get back to their best, they’ll need some real leaders in the middle of the park that can provide a genuine threat on goal when the team’s more obvious goalscorers are marked out of the game.

Here, with his impressive technique and proven ability to score and create goals seemingly at will, is where Odegaard can make a real difference for the London club and is surely exactly why they signed him this summer.