Martin Odegaard: Arsenal star’s skill vs West Ham got insane crowd reaction

Martin Odegaard‘s performance against West Ham United was something quite special.

The Arsenal playmaker was named Man of the Match as his side ran out 3-1 winners on Boxing Day to stay top of the Premier League table.

West Ham actually took the lead at the Emirates through a Said Benrahma penalty in the first half, but the Gunners exploded into life after the interval.

Odegaard’s special performance vs West Ham

And Odegaard was at the heart of everything positive the hosts produced.

Martin Odegaard’s stats vs West Ham

The former Real Madrid technician didn’t manage to get himself on the scoresheet, although there can be no disputing that he was the best player on the park.

Odegaard rather fortuitously assisted Bukayo Saka’s equaliser, before expertly teeing up Eddie Nketiah to put Arsenal 3-1 ahead on the night.

Mikel Arteta’s captain was absolutely everywhere, with the likes of Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek and Lucas Paqueta unable to really lay a glove on him.

Ally McCoist didn’t skip a beat when naming Odegaard as the Man of the Match on Amazon Prime’s coverage – and seconds after the commentator did so, the Arsenal man produced arguably his best moment of the match.

LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 26: Martin Oedegaard of Arsenal acknowledges the fans following the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and West Ham United at Emirates Stadium on December 26, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Both Paqueta and Jarrod Bowen charged over to the touchline in an attempt to dispossess Odegaard, which didn’t exactly go to plan.

Instead of getting a foot to the ball and kickstarting an attack, the West Ham pair were left chasing shadows.

Odegaard displayed some of the fanciest footwork we’ll see all season, with a nutmeg thrown in for good measure.

The snippet of skill was so good that the home fans inside the Emirates roared as loudly as they did for all three goals. Don’t believe us? Well, check out the footage…

Video: The Emirates roar for Odegaard’s nutmeg vs West Ham

Stop that, Martin! Odegaard is a player who makes the sport look beautiful – and that’s why he should be cherished.

The Arsenal supporters certainly adore him and you feel there’s so much more to come from a player who is still only 24 years of age.

Goal’s Arsenal correspondent Charles Watts summed up the moment above perfectly on Twitter, writing: “Haha. The roar for that Odegaard trick was as loud as any of the goals. Fabulous.”

So, Arsenal remain top of the Premier League table and they’re currently eight points ahead of Manchester City, who travel to play Leeds United on Wednesday.

Up next for the Gunners is a trip to Brighton & Hove Albion, before they host high-flying Newcastle United in the New Year.

If Arsenal emerge from those two fixtures with six points, there won’t be many people left who dispute them as title challengers…

Premier League quiz: Can you name these 40 players from the 2010s?

1 of 40

We’ll start easy…

Michu Chico Flores

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