AN ODE TO JOY
But super cool Martin warns the leaders are keeping calm despite their best start to a league campaign
IT is an Arsenal side with calm heads, cool finishing and their feet on the ground.
Low maintenance Martin Odegaard epitomises a club on a high, but the Gunners captain is more than aware there remains a long way to go.
“It’s a long season,” said the Norwegian playmaker. “We’re just halfway through, there are many games to be played so we have to stay calm and humble.
“Our only focus is the next game. That’s all that matters. We have to stay focused.”
The stats are as impressive as the statement victories. Boss Mikel Arteta (right) and his side are now five points clear of second-placed Manchester City with a game in hand.
They have reached 50 points midway through the season and recorded their best start to a league campaign in their 137year history.
The Gunners have scored in 18 of their last 19 Premier League games and in the absence of the injured Gabriel Jesus, no fewer than four players have stepped up to continue scoring goals.
Gabriel Martinelli now has seven, Bukayo Saka’s sizzler on Sunday was also his seventh, Odegaard is leading by example with eight and Eddie Nketiah’s double took him to four – and some critics fear he would not be good enough to cover for
Jesus.
City, winners of four of the last five titles, are their opponents in the FA Cup on Friday night.
Arsenal then host Brentford and City – impressive winners against Wolves on Sunday – in the league as the going starts to get even tougher.
But Odegaard maintains the squad are focused only on themselves and the things they can control.
He added:
“Honestly, we don’t care about City or any other team.
“We expected them to win so that was not a big surprise. We just focused on our game. The way we beat Manchester United also gives us a special feeling that will help as well.”
No team with Arsenal’s points at this stage of the season has finished outside the top two.
Even more impressively, they have dropped fewer points in the first 19 games of this campaign than they did in their opening three games of last season.
Odegaard, however, is having none of the premature cheerleading.
“Last season we were improving all the time,” he said. “The way we ended the season was a lot better than how we started it – although we didn’t end it the way we wanted, with a Champions League spot.
“But we had progress during the season, we improved. This year, we have taken another step and that’s what you can see on the pitch.
“It’s way too far ahead to think about that. We have to stay in the moment, everyone should enjoy the moment.
“We’re doing really well but we have to stay calm, it’s a long way to go and we have to keep working and improving.”
Fans are already seeing some eye-catching depth with the arrival of Leandro Trossard a late substitute and defender Jakub Kiwior in the stands ahead of his £17.5million move from Spezia.
“Yeah, we’re really happy,” Odegaard added. “Trossard was great when he came on. He took the ball and made things happen, he contributed to the last goal as well.
“Quality players like Trossard will help the team. He can play many different positions and you saw his quality straightaway. He will definitely help the team and we’re happy to have him on board, in the family.”