'Made a difference': Eddie Howe praises Arsenal star who completed 89% passes vs Newcastle
Arsenal returned to winning ways in the Premier League with a 2-1 victory over Newcastle United at St James’ Park yesterday.
The Gunners were the dominant side in the opening half against the Magpies on the road.
Eberechi Eze was fantastic in the number 10 role. He was twice denied by spectacular saves by Magpies goalkeeper Nick Pope.
Leandro Trossard also hit the woodwork from close range.
Nick Woltemade handed the Magpies a surprise lead in the 34th minute, but Arsenal fought back valiantly for the win.
Mikel Merino equalised with a cushioned header towards the far post in the 84th minute. Gabriel Magalhaes won it for Arsenal in stoppage time.
Martin Odegaard played a big part in the turnaround. Before the equaliser, he delivered a perfect defence-splitting pass for Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Gabriel Martinelli had an easy tap-in if Lewis-Skelly had found him in the six-yard box.
Odegaard eventually turned provider for the winning goal. He delivered a sublime cross from a corner for Gabriel’s towering header in the 96th minute.
Speaking after the game, Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe highlighted that ‘Martin Odegaard made a difference’ with his penetrating passes.
He told Sky Sports (via BBC Sport): “Martin Odegaard made a difference for them, he started to penetrate our lines more. We defended the set-pieces pretty well until the end.
“They are always a threat, they have got great players. I don’t think we hit our best levels and then collectively you suffer.
“We were in the lead and we had what we wanted and we were looking to close the game down.”
Odegaard came on in the 82nd minute as a replacement for Martin Zubimendi. He made an instant impact with his clever and precise distribution.
He completed 17 out of 19 passes attempted with an accuracy of 89 percent. The Norwegian delivered the perfect ball for Gabriel to bag the winner.
The 26-year-old has had a tough start to the campaign due to back-to-back shoulder injuries. This has hampered his playing time in the early weeks.
Odegaard showed his leadership skills yesterday with a fabulous cameo.
Arsenal will be in Champions League action against Olympiacos on Wednesday night. Odegaard should get more minutes under his belt, having returned to full training.
He could come on as an early substitute before starting against West Ham United in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon. Both games are at the Emirates Stadium.
Stats from Sofascore.com
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