In late October 2020, at Olso’s Ulleval Stadium, Norwegian patriots saw a plan come together beautifully.
The national team were playing Romania. They won handsomely. Better still the country’s celebrated young centre-forward scored two of the night’s four goals direct from passes from the midfielder who had been feted even longer than Erling Haaland as a generational talent.
Martin Odegaard’s assist for the first was sumptuous, a through-ball gauged to Haaland’s strengths – acceleration, power and a jackhammer of a left foot.
The pass to set up Norway’s third was simpler, but executed coolly, anticipating Haaland’s uncanny instinct to be in the right place to poach from close range.
One day, Norwegians imagine, this combination of Odegaard and Haaland will shine on an elevated tournament stage. So far, the fact that a relatively small country – population around 5.5 million – boasts two of football’s finest young talents has not been shown off at a European Championship or a World Cup. But there is plenty of time. Haaland turns 23 in July, Odegaard is 24.
Both are still improving and learning about intense pressure as they animate a tight contest for a league title in the richest, most watched domestic competition in the club game.
By the end of next month, one of these Scandinavian superstars will have claimed an English Premier League title. If it is Odegaard, he will be lifting the trophy as captain of Arsenal, who hold a five-point lead over Manchester City, where Arsenal play on Wednesday knowing that, given City have played two matches fewer, their advantage could fade fast.
If it is City’s Haaland, he will be adding the prize to several individual awards from his first season in English football: The Premier League’s top marksman is all but guaranteed; Footballer of the Year is very plausible.
Both were stars in their teens, hot-housed into the sport by fathers who had been professional players. Odegaard was exceptionally precocious, at the centre of an auction involving Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Real Madrid before he turned 16.
Madrid won it, and, unfortunately for Odegaard, they were at the time bringing together a senior trio who would form the most enduringly excellent midfield of the last decade. No kid, however dazzling, was going to drive a wedge between Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro.
It meant Odegaard’s pathway to the top would not be through Madrid, but by a route that more resembled Haaland’s – judicious steps up through the hierarchy of European leagues. Haaland left Norway for Austria’s top division and RB Salzburg, then joined a Bundesliga club with a superb record for developing young talent, Borussia Dortmund.
Odegaard thrived in Dutch football, on loan from Madrid at Heerenveen and Vitesse, and, in another loan, at Real Sociedad, who like Dortmund, know how to maximise potential.
The big break came when Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, a former Real Sociedad player, heard positive reports of Odegaard, not only about his midfield vision but his impeccable professionalism. Two winters ago, Arteta hired him on loan, and soon made the deal permanent.
No Arsenal recruit has been more significant in Arteta’s own success in his first senior coaching job. When Odegaard made his Arsenal debut, the club sat in the bottom half of the Premier League; he will play his 100th Arsenal game on Wednesday with them top, as captain, and second only in goals (12) and assists (8) for the season to Bukayo Saka.
Those statistics represent Odegaard’s best return of his career. Haaland’s staggering 32 Premier League goals in 2022/23 are smashing records. He and his compatriot can both smile about the doubts that were whispered about them in their early months in England.
Arsenal 1 Man City 3: Player ratings
-
ARSENAL RATINGS: Aaron Ramsdale 7: Left in no man’s land by Tomiyasu pass ahead of De Bruyne’s goal. Saw Rodri header hit crossbar on brink of half-time. Beaten by deflected Grealish shot and no chance with Haaland finish. Reuters -
Takehiro Tomiyasu 4: Disastrous back-pass gifted opening goal to De Bruyne. Side-footed chance over bar at other end minutes later. Booked just after break for trying to steal a few metres with throw-in. Deflected Grealish’s shot for City’s second. Not Japanese full-back’s night. AP -
Gabriel 6: Gave away second-half penalty and was booked for bundling over Haaland but rescued by VAR offside call against big Norwegian. Gave ball away at start of move that led to Grealish scoring. AP -
William Saliba 7: Has been top quality this season and had OK night up against the toughest of opponents in Haaland but couldn’t stop Norwegian putting City 3-1 up. PA -
Olseksandr Zinchenko 7: Left-back’s brilliant cross saw Nketiah miss first big chance of game. Frustrating night against former club who proved too strong in end. AFP -
Jorginho 6: Slotted well into Arsenal’s midfield although one or two moments when he wasn’t quite on same wavelength as new teammates. AP -
Granit Xhaka 8: Wild shot over bar in second minute but generally was Arsenal driving force from midfield. His fine pass put Nketiah through on goal that ended with penalty for Gunners. Took too long to get shot away when found himself in good position late in second half. AFP -
Martin Odegaard 7: Not the dominating force in midfield that he has been so regularly this campaign. Not that Norwegian had bad game just City made life much tougher for midfielder after break putting him under much more pressure. EPA -
Bukayo Saka 7: Kept his composure after long City protests over penalty decision before calmly sending Brazilian wrong way from spot. Took a few kicks off Silva until the City player was finally booked. AP -
Gabriel Martinelli 6: Has been key player in Arsenal’s charge to the top of the table this season but couldn’t really get into the game here and taken off in second half. EPA -
Eddie Nketiah 6: Headed glorious chance wide in 21st minute when he should have scored. Fouled by Ederson just after shooting from wide angle that resulted in Arsenal winning penalty. Booked for studs-up challenge on Dias. Missed another headed opportunity late in game. AP -
SUBS: Landro Trossard (On for Martinelli 75’) 6: Had home fans appealing for penalty after going down in box but rightly waved away by referee. PA -
Fabio Vieira (On for Xhaka 83’) N/A. PA -
Ben White (On for Tomiyasu 83’) N/A. AFP -
MANCHESTER CITY RATINGS: Ederson 7: Booked for time-wasting in first half then took out Nketiah minutes later to give away penalty. Arsenal managed just one shot on target against Brazilian all night when Saka scored from spot. Getty -
Kyle Walker 7: Did well against in-form Arsenal attackers, particularly Martinelli who had very little impact. Unusual booking for coming back on to field without referee’s permission in opening 45 minutes. Reuters -
Ruben Dias 8: Great covering in 11th minute when Portuguese centre-half was over quickly to Nketiah shot. Great defending again 15 minutes from time to nick ball off feet of Xhaka. Getty -
Nathan Ake 7: Produced brilliant last-ditch sliding effort to clear Nketiah shot off line - only for referee to give penalty for Ederson’s challenge on Arsenal striker. Reuters -
Ilkay Gundogan 7: German midfielder provided simple ball into feet of Grealish after quick City break ended with City attacker scoring. Also played key role in Haaland’s goal. Reuters -
Rodri 8: Saw header just before break hit crossbar after clipping leg of teammate Ake. Regularly broke up Arsenal’s attacks and set team off on the counter. The fulcrum in midfield who was absolutely crucial to City’s win. PA -
Kevin de Bruyne 9: Absolutely stunning first-time finish to clip ball over Ramsdale and put City in front and provided assist for Haaland’s goal. Angry shove on Mikel Arteta in second half when Arsenal manager blocked Belgian trying to take quick throw-in. Getty -
Bernardo Silva 7: Extra defensive responsibility trying to contain Saka down the left flank but was no surprise when he picked up first-half booking for series of challenges on England attacker. Moved out on to right later in second half. EPA -
Jack Grealish 7: England attacker put City back in front with a deflected finish in 71st minute for only his third goal this season. Booked for complaining after corner decision was, correctly, not given in his favour. AFP -
Riyad Mahrez 6: Picked out Haaland with fine ball over defence in 15th minute but that was extent of his big moments in pretty quiet match for Algerian. Hooked just after hour mark. AFP -
Erling Haaland 8: Only sniff of goal came in first half came after quarter-of-an-hour but could only redirect the ball back across face of goal with no teammate waiting. Won City a penalty only for offside call by VAR earlier in move. Finished confidently to put City 3-1 ahead. EPA -
SUBS: Manuel Akanji (On for Mahrez 61’) 7: Saw shot blocked on line by Jorginho although might have been ruled out for offside call early in move. PA -
Phil Foden (On for Grealish 77’) N/A. AP -
Kalvin Phillips (On for De Bruyne 87’) N/A. EPA
There were concerns, in early 2021, Odegaard might not have the steel Arsenal needed. But as City manager Pep Guardiola noted, he now leads by example a side who “play an aggressive game, man-to-man, all around the pitch. You have to challenge Arsenal on those terms. With the quality they have in the build-up, on the second balls. It’s difficult”.
Haaland, joining a City who had thrived without a conventional centre-forward, was initially mistaken for a square peg in a round hole. As City chase a treble, he looks ever more the piece that completes the jigsaw.
“When you look at the numbers, there’s no comparison with anybody else,” acknowledged Arteta, who expects, for fitness reasons, to be without two of his more muscular competitors, William Saliba and Grant Xhaka at the Etihad.
“With Haaland, City have the capacity to play in different ways. Playing far from your goal, they have the capacity to exploit open spaces. Attacking low blocks they have a different threat because they are now a very physical team.”
