Martin Odegaard has shed light on what has been the difference-maker for Arsenal this season as they enjoy the World Cup break from the top of the Premier League.
Mikel Arteta's side boast a five-point advantage over nearest challengers Manchester City, who sit second. The Gunners' form has come as quite the surprise to many fans and pundits this term, but they have certainly achieved their status as league-leaders on merit with some stunning displays.
12 wins from their opening 14 league fixtures marks quite the recovery from their capitulation at the tail-end of last term, when Arsenal missed out on Champions League qualification despite a five-point lead over rivals Tottenham with three games to play.
The Gunners have looked an entirely different team this season to the one that ended the last, thanks in part to the additions they made in the summer. Spending over £100m on Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Fabio Vieira has made quite the difference.
At long last, William Saliba was finally integrated into the first team three years after signing for Arsenal and has looked like he's been part of the Gunners back-line for years, such is his remarkable composure on the ball.
Pressed for comment on what is different about this Arsenal side on BT Sport’s Around The Block, Gunners captain Odegaard revealed: "The team spirit in the group is really good, everyone is really hungry and pushing each other.
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"We get along well, that helps! And I think this year, with the signings we made, I think they have taken us to the next step in terms of mentality, quality and focus.
"Everyone understands the principles, the way we want to play even more. [Mikel Arteta] is so focused. It is quite intense. He knows what he wants, but everyone understands if you do what he says, we will perform good."
Odegaard went on to address some of Arteta's unique team-talk methods that fans were able to witness during Amazon's 'All or Nothing' series that provided a behind-the-scenes insight into the Gunners' 2021/22 campaign.
"He [Arteta] is telling you something that will happen in the game, and it always happens!", Odegaard added.
"He has a lot of creative ways to do the team talk, sometimes he is doing the normal ones and other times he will use the lightbulb and other things. I think he is really good at finding the extra motivation."
Odegaard has been one of the many shining lights for Arsenal this term, with the Norwegian midfielder already netting six times, just one goal behind his tally for the entirety of last season.
