“He had 109 touches, 6 key passes, and completed 4 dribbles against West Ham last night despite losing”- Arsenal Legend Robin Van Persie was quick to give fliers to £30M Arsenal star who was Arsenal’s best player last night and deserves better- Not Saka, Not Saliba and not Rice

£30M STAR SHINES FOR ARSENAL IN DISAPPOINTING WEST HAM DEFEAT

Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard was the stand-out performer for the club during the 2-0 Premier League defeat to West Ham United last night.

The Gunners suffered their first loss at the Emirates Stadium this season after goals from Tomas Soucek and Konstantino Mavropanos in the first and second half respectively.

The north London giants also had chances of their own to score, but they lacked the cutting edge in the final third despite managing 30 shots over the course of the derby.

Odegaard was by far the best player on the pitch. He managed 109 touches and 70 passes but most importantly, he created six key passes for the Gunners on the night.

The £30 million signing also provided a couple of quality crosses for Gabriel Jesus in the box, but he was let down with the Brazilian failing to find the back of the net.

ARSENAL NEED TO RESPOND AGAINST FULHAM 

The Gunners were poor in front of goal. They had five big chances to score but all were squandered. Jesus and Bukayo Saka could not find the target with their efforts.

Odegaard tried his best to get his club back into the game, but it did not happen in the end. The Gunners must learn from the experience and respond this weekend.

Arsenal will be back in action on New Year’s Eve at Craven Cottage. It could be another tricky London derby with Fulham having scored 13 times in the league this month.

The London giants will be aiming to return to winning ways such that they can return to the top of the table and put the pressure on Liverpool, who host Newcastle United on New Year’s Day.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com