Rio Ferdinand was impressed with what he saw from Arsenal during their 2-0 victory over Spurs and he believes Martin Odegaard has been the player of the year so far.
Mikel Arteta’s side find themselves on a 12-game unbeaten run in the Premier League and they have now pulled eight points clear of Manchester City in second place.
Arsenal are currently averaging 2.61 points per game in the Premier League. If they manage to maintain this, they would end the season with a whopping 99 points.
Odegaard was once again one of the Gunners’ brightest performers in their north London derby victory as his superb strike from outside the box settled the result.
Ferdinand liked what he saw and named the playmaker as the best in the Premier League right now. He told Vibe with Five: “I’d go as far as to say right now, he’s probably my player of the year.
“Haaland’s has done what he’s done. He has been great, don’t get me wrong. If Haaland eases up with the goals and Arsenal win the league and Odegaard continues, he’s my player of the year.”
Going off the impact Odegaard has had this season, it’s tough to argue against him. The 24-year-old has captained Arsenal to the top of the table and has shown real leadership all season.
In the league alone he has scored eight goals and provided five assists so far. Across his last five matches, he has scored four goals and produced three assists.
Following their north London derby victory, Arteta singled out the captain for praise. During his post-match press conference, he described Odegaard as: “Terrific, especially in the first half, I think he was incredible.
“He’s really showing a different kind of presence, the way he’s influencing the game, just the feeling, the way he moves, what he transmits on the pitch is different and today to do what he’s done here, it’s a big credit to him.
“It’s great, I’m going in the dressing room and just feeling the joy and the togetherness around the team and how much it meant for them.
“It’s special and we know that here because of the way we play, the way we behave, the way we are and the way we live together and the unity that we have.
“So we must not forget that, because tomorrow we must try to do exactly the same to carry on the form that we have at the moment.”
Next up for Arsenal with be another tough test against Manchester United who are currently in fine form themselves.
