Arsenal captain Odegaard scores four goals in five games, Arteta credits fitness and new position

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has scored four goals in five games at the start of this season, while he scored only once in total during the injury-hit 2025/26 season. Manager Mikel Arteta attributed the captain's excellent form to two reasons: fitness and a new position on the pitch.

Recovered from injury, playing in a more advanced position

In Wednesday's 1-0 away Champions League victory over Napoli, Odegaard scored the only goal of the match. Previously, in Sunday's Premier League match against Chelsea, he also scored the winning goal. Speaking about Odegaard's improvement at the post-match press conference, Arteta said: "First of all he needed to be available, because last year he missed a lot of games because of injuries."

Statistics also confirm the impact of the positional change. Last season, Odegaard touched the ball 2.5 times per 90 minutes inside the opposition penalty area, and that figure has risen to 4.3 times this season. Arteta explained that teammates are now better able to move the ball into advanced areas, allowing Odegaard to position himself higher up the pitch and enter more dangerous areas.

New combinations with teammates, boosting the attack

Arteta also highlighted that new combination relationships with teammates are playing a role. He said: "He has that edge, and he has different combinations around him, which helps him. He can start from different heights within the team, especially in attacking phases, and when we get him into those positions, he is a very dangerous player."

Arteta said Odegaard's ability to move into more threatening positions is thanks to teammates' ability to carry the ball forward in open play, something that had been lacking in the past. He said: "We have many players who can carry the ball there, better than we did in the past to progress the ball."