Arsenal star labelled the ‘most important player in the Premier League’

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has been labelled ‘the most important player in the Premier League’ by former Gunners centre-back Martin Keown.

Having missed 12 games in all competitions with an ankle injury, Odegaard watched his side slide disappointing defeats against Bournemouth and Newcastle as they fell away from high-flying Liverpool at the top of the table.

But the midfielder has now returned at a crucial time for Arsenal and has helped immediately to turn around his side’s fortunes.

Odegaard already has two assists in his first three starts back in the side and has played a key role in helping Mikel Arteta’s side to claim back-to-back wins for the first time since early October.

Reflecting on Arsenal’s topsy-turvy start to the season, former defender Keown reckons that their mixed form during Odegaard’s absence shows that the 25-year-old is the most important player in the division.

‘He’s created 102 chances – more than anyone in the Premier League – and 41 times he’s retrieved the ball in the final third so in and out of possession, I’m struggling to think of a more important player in the Premier League,’ he told talkSPORT.

‘It’s a shame to say that it’s about one player but we could look at Man City and say that no Rodri has really created this spiralling effect so sometimes players are irreplaceable and Odegaard has been that for Arsenal.

‘It becomes obvious when he’s not available. It was very significant the creativity that he created – it would be like taking Cole Palmer out of the Chelsea team when you consider how well he did.

Asked about Odegaard’s instant impact after such a lengthy layoff, Keown added: ‘To come back after six weeks out and hit the ground running in the way that he did shows how he’s applied himself when he’s been out. We’d become predictable in front of goal.’

Arsenal boss Arteta was also keen to sign his captain’s praises as his side look to close the gap to Liverpool with a win over West Ham on Saturday.

‘With the way he prepares himself and how much work he puts in with the physios and medical department to get in the best possible condition to face the period and importance of the season that we are in and to hit the ground running – he has been exceptional since the Chelsea game and he has been very consistent the last three games,’ the Spaniard said.

‘Good players that are so consistent and so reliable that can take the game to a different level and make the players better around them, that’s a huge quality of Martin’s and he has been missed.’

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