‘I love this Arsenal side’ – Laura Woods sums up mood of Gunners fans as she hails Mikel Arteta vision and inspired Martin Odegaard transfer

Not many Arsenal fans would have anticipated them sitting seven points clear at the top of the Premier League at the start of 2023.

That includes talkSPORT Breakfast host and lifelong Gunner Laura Woods, who has admitted that even she was ‘sleeping’ on the potential of her beloved team.

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Woodsy has been loving Arsenal’s rise to the top of the Premier League

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And says even she’s surprised at just how brilliant they’ve been

After missing out on a Champions League spot last season, Arteta’s side shocked the Premier League and lost just once in the run up to the World Cup.

And the time away seems to have benefited their title chances rather than harming them.

They have beaten West Ham and Brighton to widen the gap between themselves and reigning champions Manchester City.

Stars Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli are the Gunners’ top scorers this season, sitting on seven goals each.

And when Woodsy was asked if she anticipated just how good captain Odegaard would become when he signed from Real Madrid in 2021, she admitted it wasn’t just the Norwegian that’s surprised her.

“No,” she said. “I think a lot of people were sleeping on Arsenal in general.

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Odegaard netted Arsenal’s second goal at Brighton on Saturday

“I think while that was happening Mikel Arteta was knitting together this amazing plan that he had and I think a lot of credit needs to go to hierarchy for backing Arteta and backing his vision.

“When you look at the players he brought in and you look at the price tag, I said ‘Martin Odegaard for £30million?’”

“I hate myself for questioning that, I hate myself for that,” she laughed. “But I love this Arsenal side.

“I think the vision as well from Arteta to give Odegaard the captaincy as well, they see things we don’t, how this guy operates around the club and I think that was an inspired move to give him the captaincy.

“I’ve not seen an Arsenal team this connected to each other for years! For years and years.

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Woodsy thinks Arteta has built something special at the Emirates

“Not for my lifetime, obviously there was the 2004 team who were incredible and that kind of spirit that came all the way through the ’90s as well was wonderful.

“But then there was this huge gap and an absolute fall off, a real void and division between Arsenal fans.

“What we’re seeing at the moment is absolutely marvellous.”

The Premier League leaders next face high-flying Newcastle on Tuesday night, who have also had a meteoric rise up the table, with them sitting in third just two points off Man City.

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Woods and her family have had their eye on the Newcastle game since the fixtures came out

Arteta has confirmed his side will be offered a boost with the return of Arsenal academy graduate Emile Smith Rowe, who has been out injured for four months.

The Emirates is likely to be packed to the rafters for the clash against Eddie Howe’s team – which will be live on talkSPORT.

And Woodsy says the change in game day atmosphere at the both clubs has been a joy to witness.

“This is what I love about both the teams playing tonight,” she said.

“Their home crowds now, where they have both been quite toxic in previous seasons, has just been incredible.

“Every time I’ve been to the Emirates this season, I’ve absolutely loved it.”

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