William Saliba shares that everyone at Arsenal is thrilled to see Martin Ødegaard back on the field, praising the captain as one of the “top three” midfielders globally.
Ødegaard, who suffered an ankle injury while on international duty with Norway in early September, missed 12 matches for Arsenal as a result.
His absence coincided with a rough patch for the team, leaving Arsenal nine points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.
However, Ødegaard made a strong return over the weekend, assisting Bukayo Saka for his second consecutive assist as Arsenal triumphed 3-0 at home against Nottingham Forest, managed by Nuno Espírito Santo.
Ødegaard also shone in Arsenal’s dominant 5-1 Champions League victory over Sporting, winning a foul from Ousmane Diomande that led to Saka’s second-half penalty in Lisbon.
As Arsenal secured a comfortable win, manager Mikel Arteta substituted Ødegaard with 12 minutes remaining to rest him for the upcoming trip to West Ham on Saturday.
Saliba reflected on the team’s recent form after the win, saying: “I think we had two or three tough weeks before the international break, but now we’ve come back and played two really good games. But it’s not enough. We have to keep going, and we have a big game on Saturday.”
He added, “It’s good for confidence that we won today, but let’s keep going like this. The coach always tells us to believe because we’re a very good team. We’ve had tough times, but better times are coming, so we must stick together and keep pushing forward.”
Saliba praised Ødegaard, calling him one of the most well-rounded midfielders in the world.
“I think he’s one of the best midfielders in the world, and we’re so happy to have him back. We’re better with him, so I hope he doesn’t get injured again. Of course, we enjoy playing with him. Since he’s returned, we’ve been better,” said the French defender.
“He’s top three [in the world]. I don’t want to put too much pressure on him, but I believe he’s top three. I love this guy.”
Saliba also acknowledged Ødegaard’s determination during his recovery: “He worked hard during his recovery, so I’m not surprised he came back like this. But it’s not easy to perform at this level after four weeks out. I’m not shocked, though; he’s a top professional.”
Reflecting on his own milestone of 100 appearances for Arsenal, Saliba said: “I’m very proud. I hope to play more games for this amazing club. I need to keep pushing forward, but of course, reaching 100 games here is incredible.”
