Mikel Arteta singled out Martin Odegaard for praise after Arsenal demolished Chelsea 5-0 in front of their home fans in the Premier League on Tuesday.
Leandro Trossard opened the scoring for the Gunners just three minutes after kickoff, before Ben White and Kai Havertz each grabbed a second-half brace to make it 5-0 and complete a torrid night for the visitors.
“Very happy with the win, with the amount of chances and goals we scored. And with the clean sheet as well it shows the consistency,” Arteta told TNT Sport after the final whistle.
“We weren’t disciplined enough with some stuff we did in the first half and we needed to be more disciplined and we did that in the second half.”
Odegaard provided two assists on the night as the Arsenal captain continued his fine run of form, but it’s the 25-year-old’s leadership skills that Arteta loves most about him.
“We agreed that he was a player with huge talent and he could grow with us,” he said of the Norwegian. “We were convinced he could add something special to the team.
“That’s always a question: How are you going to handle a different role [as captain]? He has done it so naturally and he is loved by everyone. With the love that he has, it is enough for everyone to want to follow him.”
It was Arsenal’s biggest ever victory over Chelsea and puts them three points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
Arteta added: “It is a big London derby and we know what it means for the fans. We will enjoy it and rest and get ready for the next one.
“What I would like is that the players can manage themselves in the dressing room. You have to leave them some space. They know what they are playing for. That’s what holds the team together. My role is to demand of them and also in the right moments make them believe they can do it.
“We have a lot of games coming up. Let’s enjoy tonight and let’s go back to work.”
