02 March 2023 , 09:23
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Martin Odegaard appears to be relishing his role as Arsenal captain and his conduct at the full-time whistle on Wednesday night would certainly suggest so.
With the Gunners having just made light work of Everton at the Emirates, brushing the Toffees aside with a dominant 4-0 win, the home faithful were already in a fantastic mood. The volume inside the ground only got louder, however, during Odegaard's lap of the pitch when the overwhelming majority of his teammates had already made tracks for the dressing room.
Waving his arms up and down frantically, donning a huge smile, it was clear for all to see this was a special moment between the captain and the adoring fans. For so long, the bond between players and supporters at Arsenal had seemed damaged beyond repair.
Nowadays, with the Gunners flying high as the youngest squad in the Premier League under the youngest manager, things are different. Odegaard's relationship with the Gunners crowd is a testament to the Norwegian, who finally has a place to call home at the Emirates after years in the wilderness at Real Madrid.
He recently said as much, telling the Players Tribune: "Whenever I lead the team out at the Emirates, I have this moment to myself. I want to really feel that atmosphere, that electricity from the fans.
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"I always listen as they play North London Forever over the speakers and I start singing along under my breath. I get goosebumps every time."
Martin Odegaard made the effort to applaud every section of the Emirates on Wednesday nightHAVE YOUR SAY! Will Arsenal win the Premier League this season? Comment below
It was the 23-year-old who put the game against Everton to bed by bagging Arsenal's third of the evening, before breaking into a jig in celebration.
As Odegaard made his way around the pitch applauding the fans, you'd be hard-pushed to claim that this Arsenal side aren't looking good value to achieve something special this season as they sit top of the pile by five points.
There remain 13 games to go and the might of Manchester City is often too much to withstand for many, but with boss Mikel Arteta at the helm and Odegaard donning the armband, everyone at the Emirates is finally singing from the same hymn sheet.
Arteta's post-match comments certainly made for interesting reading, as he also touched on the kind of passion and desire on show from the players that haven't always been there at Arsenal.
"It's a statement that we're here [top of the table] and want to continue to do this," the Gunners' boss explained. "When you look at the players every day you can see how much they want it,"
"They are so willing to learn. They can never have enough information. When you have that and the talent they have, good things will happen."