‘You can’t’: Dimitar Berbatov wowed by Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard v Tottenham

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Dimitar Berbatov was left impressed by Martin Odegaard’s goal for Arsenal against North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

But the former Tottenham striker was critical of his old side and how you simply can’t allow a player like Odegaard that type of space because he can ‘hurt you’, although, he did add that goalkeeper Hugo Lloris wasn’t to blame for that long-range effort.

Whilst Spurs fans will be angry with Lloris for his big error and own goal that led to Bukayo Saka playing a part in Arsenal’s opener.

He watched on like a sitting duck when Odegaard, with all the space in the world in the middle of the park, fired a pin-point shot into the bottom corner to make it 2-0, and in the end, seal the points and clean sheet for his side.

It was a dominant first-half display from the Premier League leaders, including a stunning volley from Thomas Partey, which Berbatov thinks could have been the ‘goal of the season’, as he told Premier League Productions (15/01/23 at 5:30 pm).

“When the ball gets to Odegaard here, you know who you need to block because Odegaard has a good shot,” said Berbatov. “So, you need to be closer to the players that you know that can hurt you.

“You don’t let players like that shoot. You can leave the right back to shoot, for example. You don’t leave the star man, the captain, with the left foot to shoot from a position like this. I think here you can’t blame Hugo Lloris it was a nice shot.”

On Partey’s volley in the first half: “This was going to be the goal of the season.”

ODEGAARD PRODUCING HIS BEST-EVER SEASON

The 24-year-old started his career with big pressure on his shoulders because he was a teenage wonderkid that made a high-profile move to Real Madrid.

Many would have felt that he didn’t live up to expectations at the current European champions, but that’s understandable because of his age and the level of the Madrid club.

But since his move to Arsenal, he has just grown into his midfield role, and since becoming captain in the summer, he has been one of his side’s best players and one of the best in the Premier League right now.