Arsenal star who had 121 touches dropped his best display of the season

Arsenal star who had 121 touches dropped his best display of the season

In January all of the talk surrounding Arsenal was dominated by their need for a striker. They ended the window without strengthening whatsoever. Where is Ivan Toney? Where is Victor Osimhen? Those were the cries from various parts of the Emirates Stadium.

Well, striker? What striker? Arsenal look like they don’t even need one now. The Gunners have banished their attacking demons that encased them at the beginning of the year and have supercharged their season with two mightily impressive wins on the trot.

Beating Liverpool last weekend sent a message about their title chances but their 6-0 romp of West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon was even more remarkable.

This is a side who had beaten Mikel Arteta’s side twice already this season, a team who had defeated them at this stadium last term as well, but there were no such issues on this occasion, far from it.

A brace from Bukayo Saka, two set-piece headers from Gabriel and William Saliba, a lovely curling effort from Leandro Trossard and then Declan Rice, back on his old stomping ground, thrashed home a strike from range to ensure their biggest away win in Premier League history.

Declan Rice’s performance in numbers

Sunday afternoon was always going to be about a certain Rice. Sold in the summer for a mega £105m fee by the Irons, he was surprisingly booed by the West Ham support in the early stages of the first half.

The best way to respond? Well, claiming two assists and scoring an incredible goal will do pretty nicely.

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Was this the midfielder’s best performance of the campaign? Perhaps, but he hardly needed to get out of second gear. It was his corner that was met by Saliba to open the scoring and then his dipping free-kick from wide on the left-hand side that Gabriel met to put Arsenal in the ascendency in the first half.

To make matters worse for a London Stadium crowd who had admired their former captain for so long, he then rounded it off with one of the best goals of his career to date. A marker of the man, he refused to celebrate.

Declan Rice vs West Ham

Minutes played

67

Goals

1

Assists

2

Touches

84

Accurate passes

66/71 (93%)

Key passes

4

Crosses

4/5

Interceptions

1

Blocked shots

1

Stats via Sofascore.

Ben White – back to his best at right-back – supplied the goal, pulling the ball back towards Trossard and Martin Odegaard. They both got in each other’s way but it didn’t matter. Rice ran onto it and fizzed an effort beyond Alphonse Areola to make it six. Sumptuous stuff.

That said, it was arguably that man Odegaard who deserved the Man of the Match award.

Martin Odegaard’s performance in numbers

Since Granit Xhaka departed Arsenal over the summer their club captain, Odegaard, has rather struggled.

Why? Well, because he’s been the only man really pulling any sort of creative strings from the middle of the park. We know Rice is supposedly the man to stay back but in Kai Havertz he’s had an inconsistent figure next to him.

As a result, the Norwegian has had to adapt his play style. After nine league games of the current season, he had registered just two assists and found himself arguably with a lack of space to work with. Combine that with Arsenal’s dodgy finishing record and you could hardly blame him for his lack of output.

Thankfully he has improved over recent outings, playing in a deeper role than we are perhaps accustomed to. Playing next to Rice on Sunday, Odegaard delivered his best display of the 2023/24 season yet with a complete midfield performance.

He registered two assists, his first in Arsenal colours in 2024, created two big chances and supplied seven key passes. From their creative magician, this is precisely what the doctor ordered.

No player completed more than the captain’s 107 passes at the London Stadium this weekend, while no player had more than his 121 touches. This was total dominance from Odegaard, a man who also won 100% duels throughout the contest.

Martin Odegaard vs West Ham

Minutes played

90

Touches

121

Accurate passes

107/113 (95%)

Key passes

7

Dribble attempts

1/1 (100%)

Duels won

3/3 (100%)

Assists

2

Tackles + interceptions

2

Stats via Sofascore.

It was no surprise, therefore, to see analyst and former academy coach Davion Ferguson describe it as the 25-year-old’s “most complete performance in an Arsenal shirt.”

It is hard to disagree with such a statement. This was a creative masterclass and something Arteta will need again if the north Londoners are to walk away with the title in May.