Paul Merson claims Arsenal star is just as important to Gunners as Rodri is to Man City

Martin Odegaard's instrumentality to Arsenal has coincided with an upturn successful results for the Gunners arsenic the Norwegian's value is underlined pursuing his spell connected the sidelines

Paul Merson insists Martin Odegaard is arsenic captious to Arsenal's hopes arsenic Rodri is to Manchester City.

The champions are presently without their Spanish midfielder, who suffered a semipermanent injury astatine the commencement of the season. Rodri remains hugely influential and City's winning percent drops considerably erstwhile the Euro 2024 victor is not present.

Their existent struggles person been somewhat attributed to the lack of Rodri arsenic they endure a six crippled winless run. Arsenal meantime looked backmost to their champion successful their thumping triumph implicit Sporting Lisbon and Odegaard himself has returned to propulsion the strings.

The Norwegian, who is besides the skipper, spent respective weeks out and his lack was telling. Arsenal struggles to beryllium arsenic originative successful the last 3rd and Odegaard volition request to stay acceptable if Arsenal are to equine a situation for silverware.

Merson said connected Sky Sports: "A superb show against Sporting Lisbon. Martin Odegaard makes the difference. We speech astir Man City and Rodri. It’s the aforesaid with Odegaard. Odegaard makes things happen. He knits it unneurotic for them. He brings the champion retired of Bukayo Saka arsenic good – adjacent much retired of him – fixed helium is already an astonishing player.

" Declan Rice, with Thomas Partey sitting successful beforehand of the backmost four, helium tin weaponry on. They’ve got 4 very, precise bully defenders. A bully goalkeeper. They’re a bully squad – but they person got to enactment fit. As agelong arsenic they enactment fit, Arsenal volition beryllium connected a roll."

Odegaard has continued to blossom astatine Arsenal and continues to supply a dependable travel of goals and assists. The Gunners person won 2 of their 3 games since their playmaker returned.

City, who person fallen 8 points down Liverpool astatine the apical of the Premier League, are looking to find solutions without Rodri. The Spaniard has marshalled their midfield and has claimed helium wants to beryllium backmost earlier the play ends.

He told The Rest Is Football podcast: "My people is to travel backmost this season. I don't springiness up connected this season, [but] I don't privation to marque immoderate mistakes. My people is six oregon 7 months. I americium doing overmuch amended than I thought. I americium enjoying the rest, if it imaginable to accidental it that way."

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