‘He can get pushed off the ball…’ Darren Bent says £30m Arsenal star lacks pace

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Arsenal are now boasting one of the best teams in the Premier League and Europe.

There is still a long way to go because they have to win that major trophy to really showcase their worth, but they are getting there.

Martin Odegaard has been at the heart of Arsenal’s rise under Mikel Arteta, but Darren Bent thinks he has his flaws in his game.

The former striker noted how the Arsenal skipper lacks pace and he ‘can get pushed off the ball’ quite easily, as he told talkSPORT.

But of course, he makes up for all of that by how quickly his brain works and his high-class technical ability.

That was proven on Tuesday night when Arsenal knocked Porto out of the Champions League via a penalty shootout.

Martin Odegaard provided a ‘world-class’ assist to ensure that the tie went to extra-time, before setting up his team’s penalty shootout win by scoring the opening spot-kick.

Martin Odegaard’s flaws

“I mean he is quick enough, I wouldn’t say he is a burner, but he isn’t the quickest,” said Bent.

“His strength, he can get pushed off the ball, but in terms of a weakness. He is just so clever in what he does. He always gets his body position into a situation where he rarely gives the ball away.

“I like it when he gets the ball, someone’s tight to him, he just moves his body, moves his body and then moves it again off the line. A really intelligent footballer.”

Winning that trophy

Odegaard first joined Arsenal on a loan deal from Real Madrid, before that was made permanent for £30 million in 2021.

At the time, the club was yet to return to the Champions League under Arteta and there was a lot of pressure to make that step.

It took time, but fast forward to the present and now the team has a real chance of winning the big trophies again.

Offer the fans anyone of – the Premier League title or the Champions League – and they would snap your hands off.

But there is a real belief that they can get over the line this season after the heartache of the previous campaign.