Has there been a better individual performance anywhere in the Premier League this season? Cole Palmer may have something to say about that, following his one-man blitz of Everton, while Matheus Cunha’s own hat-trick display against Chelsea will take some forgetting.
But Martin Odegaard, nothing short of ‘mesmerising’ during Arsenal’s 5-0 dismantling of Mauricio Pochettino’s side on Tuesday night, is tough to beat.
It was a display some of the finest playmakers in The Gunners’ modern history would have been proud of, from Dennis Bergkamp to Cesc Fabregas and Mesut Ozil. A masterclass in creativity and cutting edge, Odegaard assisted Kai Havertz to score the first of a brace against his former club with a gorgeous sliderule pass before dinking the ball into Ben White for the defender to also double his tally for the evening.
And, for Gary Neville, there is currently no one better in the Premier League than a man who goes into Sunday’s North London derby with Tottenham Hotspur in dazzling form.
Martin Odegaard shining for Arsenal
“Arsenal were very good against Chelsea. “Excellent, in fact,” the Sky Sports pundit tells the Gary Neville podcast, Mikel Arteta’s side going three points clear at the top of the table before Manchester City’s own thrashing of Brighton two days later.
“Some of the football… and Martin Odegaard is mesmerising at the moment. He has become the best in that position in terms of the way he plays.
“I was really impressed with Chelsea against Manchester City at the weekend in the FA Cup semi-final. They were really good at Wembley and there was a lot to hang your hat on there and build on.
“Mauricio Pochettino came out and said, and he couldn’t say it any better, that when they are bad, they are rally bad, but also, Arsenal were really good. They won well and played in a dominant fashion against a poor and understrength Chelsea team, but Mikel Arteta’s side did their job.
“But now, Arsenal’s big moment of the season is this game on Sunday.”
Facing off against not only Arsenal but also Liverpool and Man City before the season ends, Tottenham find themselves in something of a ‘king-maker’ role. Ange Postecoglou’s exciting but inconsistent side held The Gunners to a 2-2 draw at the Emirates in the first half of the campaign, and a similar result would be hugely damaging to their rivals’ title hopes, especially with City expected to pick up all three points against struggling Nottingham Forest.
Gunners travel to Tottenham in North London derby
“Arsenal cannot be shocked on Sunday,” adds Neville, who knows a thing or two about the business end of a campaign, having won no fewer than eight Premier League titles under Sir Alex Ferguson.
“It’s going to potentially be like a bloodbath in the first 15 to 20 minutes. The Tottenham fans don’t want Arsenal to win the league. I’ve been in London a lot recently and in the black cabs, if you bump into a Spurs fan, they don’t want Arsenal to win the league.
“Tottenham will want a win, not just for stopping Arsenal, but for pride, winning a north London derby and getting as many points as they can. They are trying to push Aston Villa for that fourth place.
“It’s a huge game.”