Mikel Arteta heaps praises on Martin Odegaard after Brighton win

Arsenal managed to overcome their hoodoo over Brighton with a 4-2 win on Saturday, thus ending 2022 on a winning note.

The Gunners were dominant from the start as Bukayo Saka scored within the first 65 seconds. Martin Odegaard, Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Martinelli scored the other goals.

Arsenal currently sit at the top of the Premier League table with 43 points after 16 games, seven points clear of second-placed Manchester City.

And in the match, Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard was immense. Odegaard orchestrated the midfield and scored a goal along with an assist to continue his fantastic season with the North London outfit.

The Norwegian was instrumental in almost every move for them, with creating chances and scoring goals. He also set up Gabriel Martinelli with an outrageous ball from the middle of his own half, while creating a fantastic dink nutmeg earlier in the match which didn't end up in a goal.

He has three goals and three assists in the last three Premier League games for Arsenal. He scored a brace against Wolves in the last match before the World Cup break, got two assists in Arsenal's 3-1 win over West Ham on Boxing day, and now has scored one coupled with an assist against Brighton.

Martin Odegaard has registered 2 goal contributions in each of his last 3 Premier League games:

⚽⚽ vs. Wolves
🅰️🅰️ vs. West Ham
⚽🅰️ vs. Brighton

The heartbeat. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/mRp5X9zR4u

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) December 31, 2022

And the Gunners manager Mikel Arteta had only good things to say about his captain after the match.

"He is doing what we want him to do, to decide football matches and work really hard and deliver to the team what he needs in these moments which is different," Arteta said on the Norwegian's performance.

"The four front players scored again today; that is great news. Eddie scoring again, Bukayo, Martinelli and in crucial moments as well. That's what we want, those players deciding football matches when the team needs it and that's what they're doing," he added.

Odegaard, who joined Arsenal from Real Madrid, has been hugely productive this season. He has already netted 7 times in the league this season along with 5 assists, which is the joint-best-ever G+A tally for the youngster in his career.

The 24-year-old will be hoping to replicate his merry run against Newcastle United, who travel to Emirates on Tuesday.