Arsenal captain and midfielder, Martin Ødegaard, received major kudos from one of the best midfielders in the league and a direct rival to the Gunners this season for the Premier League title: Alexis Mac Allister.
Mac Allister wrote a piece for The Players’ Tribune opening up regarding his playing career, the struggles he went through and the joy of winning at Liverpool and with the Argentina national team. In there, the midfielder praised one of his direct rivals heading into the Premier League season: Ødegaard.
Specifically discussing his time at Brighton and Hove Albion as he rose up the ranks, Mac Allister reflected on the four months prior to the 2022 FIFA World Cup when Roberto De Zerbi was in charge of the Seagulls.
“When De Zerbi came in as our manager that next season, a few months before the World Cup, it changed everything for me. The main thing that he helped me improve was my scanning of the field—my “profiling” of the situation. Taking little mental pictures of the chess board every two seconds. We looked at [Martin] Ødegaard as an example of this. For me, he’s one of the best in the world at scanning. His head never stops moving. De Zerbi gave me this gift, and it really elevated my game,” Mac Allister said.
Mac Allister and Ødegaard might have different roles within their current teams, but the former played as an attacking, central and defensive midfielder during the 2022–23 season at Brighton. He made over 10 appearances in each role. Ødegaard was just breaking through and establishing himself as one of the best midfielders the league amid Arsenal’s first of three consecutive title challenges.
The Norwegian saw his form dip last season, never quite finding his footing after an ankle injury early in the campaign on international duty. On the other side, Mac Allister and Gravenberch established themselves as one of the most formidable partnerships in the world on the way to a league title in Arne Slot’s first season.
Both midfielders go head-to-head in just a few weeks as two title contenders clash at Anfield on August 31.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard Receives Major Compliment From Direct Rival.
