Earlier than the weekend’s disappointing draw away to Fulham, Arsenal have been driving excessive courtesy of a 2-0 house win towards fierce rivals Manchester United.
Nonetheless, it wasn’t simply the fixture that made Wednesday night time’s conflict a particular one; it was additionally the truth that it was the 500th competitive men’s game on the Emirates Stadium.
It is a stadium that has seen some particular gamers within the 18 years because it was accomplished, however the final couple of years have been the primary time it is hosted a aspect which might be bonafide title challengers and ok to go all the way in which in Europe.
Due to this fact, whereas loads of sensible signings have been made since 2006, it is arduous to look previous this present crop of gamers as the very best of the Emirates period, significantly Martin Odegaard and one other of this season’s stand-out stars.
Odegaard’s Arsenal profession
Arsenal initially signed Odegaard on a six-month mortgage deal from Real Madrid in January 2021, and whereas he definitely wasn’t poor in that spell, his tally of two goals and two assists in 20 appearances wasn’t precisely earth-shattering.
Nonetheless, Arteta and Edu Gaspar had a imaginative and prescient of the group with the Norwegian on the centre and opted to pay Los Blancos £30m for his providers that summer season, and what a game-changing choice that has since turned out to be.
The Drammen-born magician has change into completely important to how the Gunners play and his management skills noticed him named membership captain in 2022 at simply 23 years previous.
Thus far, the 25-year-old famous person has scored 36 goals and provided 28 assists in 163 appearances for the membership, equating to a mean of a purpose involvement each 2.54 video games, and on high of that, he has the more and more uncommon potential to get followers on their ft with a bit of immaculate shut management or an aesthetically dazzling move.
General, whereas he’s but to steer the membership to a title or trophy, there might be no denying that Odegaard has been an completely elegant signing for Arsenal and simply the most effective for the reason that Emirates was accomplished.
Nonetheless, he isn’t the one one that matches that description within the present squad.
The Arsenal signing who may very well be pretty much as good as Odegaard
So, whereas there are greater than a handful of gamers within the present squad who may very well be named right here, the participant we’re speaking about is Dutch defender Jurrien Timber, who joined the membership for £38m last summer.
Now, we all know that it in all probability is just too simple to make such a sweeping assertion a few participant who is basically in his first season for the membership, however he is regarded that spectacular, and what’s soccer with no little little bit of hyperbole?
With that mentioned, what makes the previous Ajax defender such a particular participant, so particular in actual fact that revered analyst Ben Mattinon proclaimed him “the most effective signings of the Emirates period” late final month?
Properly, it is twofold, and the primary purpose is solely that he is a contemporary full-back who’s greater than able to defending.
The Amsterdam-born titan may not be on the extent as William Saliba or Gabriel Magahales on this respect, however when he is beginning on the right-hand aspect, it is uncommon to see him skinned by an opposing participant or come out on the shedding aspect of a bodily battle, regardless of being simply 5 foot 10.
Nonetheless, essentially the most vital purpose why individuals have been so impressed with the 23-year-old is the distinction he makes going ahead.
Whereas Ben White was nice at overlapping with Bukayo Saka on the correct, the Dutchman appears to be comfy doing that and underlapping, and as his former supervisor Michael Reiziger says, he is “comfy and one with the ball.”
We additionally noticed him rating his first purpose for the membership towards United, chipping in with a header within the absence of Gabriel.
Finally, whereas he isn’t the flashiest of gamers, it is turning into more and more troublesome to disregard his constantly sensible performances when he begins on the correct, and maybe the most important praise you possibly can pay him is that White may have an almighty battle on his arms to displace him when match.
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