Journalist James McNicholas has just named the one player who he thinks will be most important to Arsenal during the run-in.
Mikel Arteta will need to lean on the strength of his full Arsenal squad over the course of the final few weeks of the season.
The Gunners already face a couple of difficult injury situations. There are fears about the fitness of Bukayo Saka ahead of Sunday’s showdown against Manchester City. Gabriel Martinelli is also a doubt for that fixture at the Etihad Stadium.
With the north London club still chasing glory in both the Premier League and the Champions League, they have very little margin for error available to them and the games will come thick and fast. Arteta will have to rest and rotate players, and will have to put his faith in a few back-up options to step up and deliver when called upon.
However, James McNicholas believes that Arsenal cannot afford to go without Martin Odegaard.
Is Martin Odegaard the most important Arsenal player?
The Arsenal club captain has been in exceptional form this season. Odegaard is one of the most creative players in Europe, and is often at the heart of what Arteta’s team do well in the final third. He is also the first line of defence, as the Norwegian playmaker takes responsibility for triggering and leading the Arsenal press.
McNicholas has now argued that the former Real Madrid man is Arsenal’s most important player at this point in time.
Speaking on the Arsecast Extra podcast, the reporter said, “I was asked…which Arsenal player I would want to preserve from injury above all others. I thought long and hard about that…in the end, I actually chose Martin Odegaard. Because, for me, in terms of what he brings to the team, both in the intensity of his pressing and his work off the ball but also just his sheer quality and ability to make and score chances, I don’t think we have anyone else in that position who looks close to replicating that.”
Arsenal need Martin Odegaard to lead by example
Odegaard has been described as a “perfect” captain for Arsenal, and is clearly hugely important to Arteta.
It would be a devastating blow if the 25-year-old were to be sidelined at any point between now and the end of the campaign.
Odegaard will be expected to step up in the huge games that are coming up for Arsenal. Arteta will need the skipper to be at his best when the Gunners take on Manchester City, and Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Of course, Odegaard is not the only one who will need to be at his best in these matches. Across the board, the Arsenal squad must maintain the exceptional form they have shown so far this year for the rest of the season if they want their campaign to end in the triumphant manner that they are dreaming of.