Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard bags hat-trick of assists as Norway beat Israel | OneFootball

Arsenal halted a shocking run of three games without a win in the Premier League when they defeated Chelsea before the March international break.

The Gunners are 12 points behind Liverpool in the Premier League title race with nine games to go. However, manager Mikel Arteta believes they can close the gap and potentially overtake the Reds.

Arteta will hope to get his Arsenal players back from the international break without any scratches as they take on Fulham at the Emirates Stadium on April 1.

Hopefully, they can also return in top form ready to bolster the Gunners as they continue in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League.

Arteta would have been happy to see Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard delivering the goods for Norway ahead of the crucial season run-in.

Odegaard gave a maestro’s performance in the engine room as Norway beat Israel 4-2 to secure two wins from their first two 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

The Arsenal playmaker registered three assists as Norway sealed the win. He also recorded an outstanding eight key passes, won five of his 12 duels, and completed his two long ball attempts and three of his five crosses.

Odegaard completed three of his seven attempted dribbles and won a foul for Norway while making one interception and a tackle. It was a continuation of his excellent showing against Moldova.

“Some performance,” journalist Charles Watts commented on Odegaard’s outing.

Odegaard will be determined to carry this exciting form back to Arsenal. The Arsenal midfielder has been criticised this season for underdelivering. He has just four league assists this term. He returned the same numbers in just two games for this international break.

Arsenal fans need Odegaard at his best to salvage something from this season. Usurping Liverpool in the Premier League and getting past Real Madrid is not an easy feat, and players like Odegaard would have to play out of their skin for the Gunners to stand a chance.