Inside Martin Odegaard's resurgence at Arsenal as Mikel Arteta finally cracks the code

Martin Odegaard has been reborn under Mikel Arteta this season.(Image: Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)

Mikel Arteta appears to have finally cracked the code, unlocking the very best version of Martin Odegaard. The Arsenal captain has enjoyed an excellent start to the new Premier League season, helping lay the foundation for another title race.

On Sunday afternoon, Odegaard fired the Gunners to a 2-1 win over Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium. The Norway international, who was often criticised in the past for crawling into his shell when the lights shone brightest, grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and led his side to victory.

The genius to telepathically combine with Kai Havertz and smash Arsenal into the lead, followed by the courage to take the wheel and weather the storm, can not be understated. But Odegaard has Arteta to thank for his incredible resurgence this term.

The 27-year-old embodied everything that the Spaniard wants from his leader in the middle of the park. In possession, Odegaard pulled the strings from pockets of space, carving the Blues open time and time again.

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When all was said and done, the Norwegian had 65 touches, completed 48 out of 54 passes, played 16 line-breaking passes into the final third, and created four chances. Unlike in the past, when Odegaard would often stall momentum by coming short to receive the ball, he largely featured in the half-space on the right-hand side.

Every final third pass by Martin Odegaard during Arsenal's clash against Chelsea.

Odegaard was just as influential when out of possession, winning three duels and retrieving possession three times. Of course, Arsenal enjoyed slightly more of the ball than Chelsea, meaning the skipper had a little more time to flaunt his best attributes in the half spaces, but he still put in the hard yards, leading the press and arranging the rest defence.

Martin Odegaard's heatmap during Arsenal's clash against Chelsea.(Image: Opta)

Odegaard hasn't suddenly taken the Premier League by storm overnight. It's been a result of blood, sweat, tears, and above all, long hours on the grass at the Sobha Realty Training Centre.

So, with that being said, football.london has looked at how Arteta has transformed the maestro into one of the most efficient midfielders in Europe.

When Arsenal first signed Odegaard from Real Madrid on an initial loan in January 2021, Arteta was more drawn to his profile and attributes than to his value in a set position on the pitch. Speaking to club media at the time, the Gunners boss floated the idea of playing the midfielder as an eight, a 10, and even a winger.

"He's a specialist to play in the pockets, to play in the number eight or 10 positions," he said. "He can play off the sides. He's a really creative player who's really comfortable on the ball in tight spaces.

"He has the capacity to create chances and to score goals. Something that he has improved a lot is his work rate without the ball as well, so it's another option to give us more creativity for sure in the final third, and give us more options to set up in different ways against certain teams."

Martin Odegaard receives instructions from Mikel Arteta.

Once Arsenal wrapped up a £30m deal with Real Madrid at the end of the season, Arteta granted Odegaard a little more freedom, allowing him to roam across the middle of the park. He was given the licence to not only play in the half-spaces, but also pull the strings drop deep.

In August 2021, the Gunners boss told club media: "He's really comfortable in those areas. He loves drifting into that right-side pocket, coming deep, and he needs freedom to play. He needs players around him to follow and understand him because the moment he has time on the ball he's a real threat.

"He glides players together. He attracts players. He's really confident on the ball. He can take the ball anywhere on the pitch and he gives us that continuity. I think tonight he was really good."

Martin Odegaard impressed during his first full season as an Arsenal player.

Then, the following year, when Arsenal first launched a bid for the Premier League title under Arteta, Odegaard was encouraged to take up a more systematic role further up the field, leaving the holding midfield – on paper – to facilitate build-up.

Speaking to Sky Sports in 2022, the Gunners boss outlined his efforts to stop the Norwegian from dropping deep. Arteta said: "I think now he is more comfortable doing that [playing further forward] than when he joined because he was all the time playing in deeper roles and getting the ball in deeper areas.

"He was more comfortable facing the play from those positions than being in advanced positions. But that is the work we have been doing with him. In my opinion, that is where he can be the best for the team."

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta talks to captain Martin Odegaard during a training session at London Colney. (Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Arteta was right all along! Odegaard went on to score 15 goals in the 2022/23 campaign, which was the most by an Arsenal midfielder since Cesc Fabregas in 2009/10. As Arsenal began to grow into one of the most feared teams in Europe, opponents weren't as expansive and sat deeper.

So, the Gunners boss needed a new game plan. Another string to his bow. With lots of teams now deploying a low-block, there was naturally nowhere near as much space for Odegaard in the pockets; although Arsenal remained a powerhouse, he became slightly more of a provider than a goalscorer.

"We have used Martin to accommodate the needs of the team, to make us better against certain behaviours and challenges that the opponents put for us," explained Arteta in December 2023. "That is a big quality of his."

Martin Odegaard of Arsenal celebrates after scoring the team's first goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Arsenal FC at St. James Park(Image: Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

As Arsenal strayed further from the free-flowing football and began to relish the art of defending, Odegaard was no longer as influential. Of course, he remained a key player and one of the first names on the teamsheet, but the Gunners slowly became far stronger out of possession than in possession.

Although Arteta had been drawn to the value of keeping clean sheets in the race for silverware, Arteta recognised the importance of having a player like Odegaard who can thread the eye of a needle. In January 2025, as Arsenal geared up for a third title charge, the head coach told reporters: "One thing is aesthetics and another thing is practice.

"On an aesthetic level, replacing Martin, how he moves, how he associates, if we want to do the same with another [player], it’s not going to happen. So, we have to adapt and be different in that. I put him on a pedestal.

Martin Odegaard wasn't at his best during the 2024/25 campaign.(Image: (John Walton/PA Wire))

"First, as a person, because he is absolutely heavenly: how he takes care of himself, how he takes care of others, how he behaves on a day-to-day basis. He loves to play football and we share an idea of how we want to do it. For me, he is an absolute leader in that.

"His evolution is there: before he played far from the penalty area. I brought him closer to the box and now he likes the box. The next thing is that he loves the box so much that, every time he steps in it, he feels it.

"And the day he does that, like when he scored 15 goals in the Premier League, he will be able to do it every year, because he has the ability for it..."

Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Magalhaes look dejected at the final whistle after the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and West Ham United FC at Emirates Stadium. (Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Then, speaking to Spanish media, Arteta noted how he still wants Odegaard to play further forward. The Arsenal boss said: "He used to play very far from the area. I have tried to bring him closer. My challenge is that he loves it. The day he does that, we will see 15 goals in the Premier League."

A year later, Odegaard found himself in and out of the treatment room. Although Arsenal had mounted a fourth title bid – which they would finally go on to win – the skipper had been drained of confidence, crawling back into his shell.

He was a shadow of himself, dropping short to receive the ball and extinguishing counter-attacks with one too many touches on the half-turn. In January 2026, Arteta told reporters: "He’s played much less minutes than in any other season as well because he’s been injured three times, that’s the reality.

Martin Odegaard poses with the Premier League trophy.

"We want to improve that, for sure, we want him to affect the game in the area where we can win football matches. But you know Martin and how he works every single day, I have no doubt that that will come."

On his growing tendency to come short again, Arteta said: "It's a bit of his nature, and my nature is to go to the opposite side. But we need to respect as well the qualities and the talent of players, and within that, they need to feel the freedom in attack, especially to do what they believe is best..."

And then finally, this season, after an excellent World Cup and an injury-free pre-season, it's almost as if Odegaard has been reborn. Arteta has been keen to capitalise on the Norwegian's new lease of life, taking the opportunity to push him into an advanced role once and for all.

Speaking to reporters following the win over Chelsea at the weekend, the Gunners boss reflected on his skipper's bright start. He said: "First of all, he feels fit and confidence-wise, it’s the highest I’ve seen him.

Martin Odegaard made a late run into the Chelsea box to put Arsenal in front.(Image: Sky Sports)

"He has a point to prove from last season as well, from missing so much football. Kai is the same; Bukayo is the same. We missed so many attacking players last season for long, long periods - I’m not sure how many games they played together last season, but probably not many."

And, touching on his attacking responsibilities, as previously visualised by Opta, Arteta said: "When you start to feel the chemistry they have between them and what they can produce, it’s great. But for me, he gets to that point because he’s enjoying his football.

"You have to enjoy what you do, to play with real intent, and that’s what I saw today. He was running forward; he took shots, created so many situations for his teammates - he was great..."

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