Mikel Arteta exclusive: Arsenal boss says ‘unique’ Martin Odegaard is key - ‘The player that connects everything’

Martin Odegaard is back in the Arsenal starting XI after recovering from an ankle injury, and Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is delighted. The Spaniard believes that Odegaard's return has transformed Arsenal's fortunes, while goalkeeper David Raya has said that the Norwegian's leadership qualities are key to the side's hopes this season. The Gunners face Sporting CP on Tuesday.

‘He’s the player that connects everything’ – Arteta hails return of ‘unique’ Odegaard

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Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal are a different team following the return of their talismanic captain, Martin Odegaard.

The Norwegian midfielder has registered assists in both of his Premier League appearances for The Gunners since returning from an ankle injury.

Odegaard sustained the injury while representing Norway in the UEFA Nations League, missing seven Premier League games and three UEFA Champions League fixtures as a result.

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Speaking ahead of a trip to Sporting CP - live on TNT Sports and discovery+ on Tuesday - Arteta believes Odegaard is central to the attack, and that he is already seeing improvements to the side since his return.

"It is different [without Martin Odegaard in the team]," Arteta told TNT Sports in an exclusive interview. "He is a different player and a unique player in our team.

"For the energy that he brings, the understanding of the game that he has and the trust that he has from everybody. He is the player that connects everything, that's him.

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"His body language, his capacity to link with the ball and the way he drives the press makes him a very important player and that is why he is our captain.

"Obviously we have certain chemistries in the team that have been built over a period of time. We are building others and I think they are going to be really strong as well.

"What I was really pleased about is that we played with so much enthusiasm, energy and quality. I saw a different team in that sense."

Odegaard is expected to feature when Arsenal take on Sporting CP in the UEFA Champions League.

The Portuguese giants were managed by Ruben Amorim until he joined Manchester United earlier this month.

They defeated Manchester City 4-1 in Amorim's final game in charge, and Arteta believes that result can act as a warning to his players.

"They certainly have made teams suffer, there is a good example with what they did against City," said Arteta.

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"That shows you the level they can play at, we have shown as well that we can play against any opposition in the Champions League.

"We have to be super efficient and pay a lot of attention to detail because games can be won or lost in those moment.

"When we play in Europe, something we have to do better is when we earn the right to dominate the game, we need to kill it."

Arteta is not the only man in north London delighted to see Odegaard back. Goalkeeper David Raya believes the Norwegian's leadership qualities help get Arsenal's stars on the same page.

"He is great, he is so important for us on the pitch and off the pitch," added Raya.

"He showed his qualities in the game against Chelsea, what he is capable of. It is really important to have him back.

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"You miss him because he is the captain you know, he is a big leader, he tries his hardest to get everyone on the same page.

"When he is your captain you are going to miss him no matter what. Of course, on the pitch, he is a genius. His performance and the way he plays is so good.

"We know how tough it is going to be tomorrow but of course, we expect to win. We want to win every single game. These are the demands we have for ourselves."