What Italy's national press are saying about Martin Odegaard after his Arsenal winner vs Napoli
Martin Odegaard was the star of the show as Arsenal beat Napoli.
The Gunners were excellent for the most part in their Champions League opener and created plenty of chances in front of goal.
However, awful finishing from the likes of Bukayo Saka, Mikel Merino, Piero Hincapie and Ben White kept the score 0-0.
Odegaard then stepped up in the 75th minute to score a fantastic goal, and his performance seems to have impressed everyone, including the Italian press.
Italian media hail Martin Odegaard after Arsenal beat Napoli
Martin Odegaard has been incredible since pre-season began.
The Norway international has had a difficult couple of years due to injuries, and that lack of rhythm badly affected his form.
Over the summer, something changed, and Mikel Arteta even claimed that Odegaard looks like a different person.
Arsenal fans can all see that as well, with their skipper scoring four times in the first five games and being their best player so far.
Odegaard was incredible against Napoli, and he has now earned worthy praise from media outlets in Italy.
Calciomercato wrote: “He was the clear man of the match even before his goal – his fourth in his first five appearances of the season, following a tally of just one goal in 36 games last year.
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“All the key plays flow through his skilful feet, illuminating the game with flashes of genius.”
TMW added: “The Gunners’ playmaker orchestrates the attack, delivering a succession of classy touches. He lights up the evening, spotting passing lanes invisible to others.
“He decides the match, though he was already the best player on the pitch.”
Il Messaggero said: “He plays in the attacking midfield role and offers no fixed reference point for the defence. He is Arsenal’s best player and scores a well-deserved goal.”
Finally, Sport Mediaset said about him: “Always brilliant. His teammates look to him with confidence and invariably receive a positive response.
“Possessing exquisite technique, he moves between the lines with enchanting grace. The man of the match is also the one who broke the deadlock with a beautiful goal to make it 1-0.”
Martin Odegaard joins three legends in illustrious Champions League list
One of Odegaard’s biggest strengths is his ability to pick out passes in the final third.
The Norwegian’s quality in such situations sets him apart from most other attacking midfielders in the Premier League and Europe.
Against Napoli, Odegaard completed a staggering 72 passes – not overall, but just in the final third.
🇳🇴 | More Ødegaard magic
— Sofascore Football (@Sofascore) September 9, 2026
Players with 70+ accurate passes in the final third of the pitch in a single #UCL match since 2003/04:
• Xavi (5x)
• Andrés Iniesta (86 v Celtic on 23 Oct 2012)
• Toni Kroos (81 v Arsenal on 19 Feb 2014)
• Martin Ødegaard (72 v Napoli on 9 Sep 2026)… pic.twitter.com/1EVLc03Tnr
That is an outrageous return, so much so that only three other legendary players have done it since records began in 2003/04:
- Xavi Hernandez
- Andreas Iniesta
- Toni Kroos
What makes Odegaard’s statistic even more impressive is the fact that he is the only natural number 10 on that list. Xavi, Iniesta and Kroos all used to play deeper.
The fact that Odegaard played high up the pitch and still managed that many passes in the final third shows just how extraordinary a player he is.
