Martin Odegaard explains crucial Kai Havertz role as double Arsenal verdict given

Martin Odegaard following Arsenal's win over Chelsea.(Image: Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)

Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz exchanged pleasantries following Arsenal's statement win over Chelsea. The duo fired Mikel Arteta's side to victory at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon, helping the Gunners bank three crucial points in the early stages of the title race.

Morgan Rogers broke the deadlock after just 77 seconds, making the Blues the first team in Premier League history to find the net inside the opening five minutes of each of their first three games. Shortly before the half-hour mark, Havertz levelled proceedings, tucking the ball through the legs of Maxence Lacroix to beat Emi Martinez at his near post.

Then, moments after the break, Odegaard smashed Arsenal into the lead after combining nicely with his striker. Reminiscent of his pass in the Community Shield last month, Christos Tzolis cut inside, slicing the Blues in half with a pass into the heart of defence.

As the ball zipped into Havertz, the Gunners skipper, who hadn't been tracked from midfield by Romeo Lavia or Reece James, raced into the Chelsea box. Aware of Odegaard's late run, the Germany international feigned a touch, letting the pass roll into his path.

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The Arsenal captain, who was on the same wavelength, then smashed the ball past Martinez. Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Odegaard showered Havertz with praise, shining a light on his important role in the side.

He said: "He's a really smart player, he moves so well and takes a lot of attention from the defenders, and it was a brilliant goal."

Odegaard added: "It was a big game, massive game, tough opponent, and we got there in the end, so brilliant. Our mentality is to keep fighting. We have shown that many times.

"We never want to concede early, but the reaction is top. We got our reward in the end, and the response was brilliant. We showed our quality with and without the ball, and the result reflects that."

Then, in a separate interview with Match of the Day, Havertz echoed the sentiment. Singing from the same hymn sheet, the Arsenal striker said: "I think he's an unbelievable player, we saw that over the last years. This season, I think he's back to his best. I think he's going to help us a lot this season."

Havertz added: "It's always nice to win at home against a London rival. It was a tough game, but over the 90 minutes, we deserved to win that game."

On keeping Chelsea quiet: "They have strong players. They have an amazing squad, but so do we. We knew it was going to be tough, and it's going to be a tight game. They scored early, so it's not easy for us, but we believed in ourselves and changed the game around."

And finally, on his goal: "I was happy the ball went through the legs of the defender, so it was tough to see the ball for him. Always happy to score."

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