Wayne Rooney blown away by Arsenal player who 'slows the game down'
Wayne Rooney was hugely impressed by Martin Odegaard in Arsenal's 2-1 win over Chelsea on Sunday.
The 27-year-old scored the winner as the Premier League champions came from behind at Emirates Stadium, with Kai Havertz having cancelled out Morgan Rogers' early goal.
The Norway international has now scored three goals already this season, beating last season's tally and already halfway to the 2024-25 campaign's total.
Odegaard has spent much of the last few years dealing with injury issues and mixed form, unable to reach the levels that he had become known for at Arsenal.
But the early signs this season suggest that the Gunners captain has shaken off his issues and is back to his very best.
Arsenal have started the season with four consecutive victories, as they look to defend their title.
Martin Odegaard 'dictated the play' in Arsenal vs Chelsea
Arsenal will hope that Odegaard can stay fit this season, and once again become the star figure he had been before his injuries.
The midfielder has dropped deeper in recent years and has been known as more of a controller of possession, but he undoubtedly knows where the goal is.
The 2022-23 season saw the Norwegian net 15 Premier League goals for Arsenal, and he scored 11 across all competitions in the subsequent campaign.
Should Odegaard be able to keep up his scoring so far this season and match numbers like that, Arsenal will be an attacking force to be reckoned with.
"I thought today he was excellent, and he dictates the play for Arsenal," Rooney told Match of the Day on Sunday.
"But what I liked today was his willingness to run forward and get beyond the forward and make the penalty box and make things happen."
Rooney continued: "He comes deep, he gets on the ball, he starts the attack for Arsenal. Slows the game down, playing at his pace and dictating the tempo for Arsenal.
"Keeps the ball moving, but what I really liked was that he didn't stop. He plays the ball out wide and now he sees the space, little pocket, he comes into it and plays a really clever pass to create a really good opportunity for Arsenal."
Odegaard's impressive display in stats
Odegaard's winning goal was almost a carbon copy of the way he scored against Manchester City in the Community Shield.
The same passer - Christos Tzolis - played the ball inside, with Kai Havertz's stunning dummy allowing the captain the freedom of the Chelsea box to smash past Emi Martinez.
The 27-year-old scored but was unlucky to leave without an assist too, after creating four chances and 0.88 expected assists.
Odegaard made a staggering 19 line-breaking passes on the day and was fouled three times, but he did his defensive work too and registered three recoveries and three duels won.