Owen Hargreaves Hails Martin Ødegaard’s ‘Ridiculous’ Performance in Arsenal’s Champions League Win

Owen Hargreaves Hails Martin Ødegaard Champions League performance hailed as ‘ridiculous’ by Owen Hargreaves after Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Olympiacos.

Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard delivered a standout Champions League performance in the 2-0 victory over Olympiacos, earning huge praise from pundit Owen Hargreaves.

Making his first start since recovering from a shoulder injury, Martin Ødegaard wasted no time reminding fans of his quality. The Norwegian orchestrated Arsenal’s attack in the first half with incisive passing and intelligent movement.

One of his finest moments came when he threaded a sublime through ball to Viktor Gyökeres. Although the striker’s shot was saved, Gabriel Martinelli pounced on the rebound to give Arsenal the lead.

Former England international Owen Hargreaves, speaking on TNT Sports, was quick to single Ødegaard out:

“In the first half he was the best player on the pitch by a country mile. He was at his absolute best. That’s probably as good as Ødegaard can play. The goal is all him, really.”

“Played Like a Surgeon”

After the final whistle, Ødegaard joined the TNT Sports panel, where Hargreaves continued to rave about his performance.

“Martin, we were talking about your performance, especially in the first half. This ball is ridiculous by the way. You played a few balls in the first half that were just silly. You played like a surgeon, it was so precise. It was you at your absolute best.”

In typically humble fashion, Ødegaard credited the team’s overall attacking fluidity.

“We work on that a lot, we want to create a lot. We know the quality we have in the team and how solid we are defensively. If we can create those chances and flow, it is always going to be good.”

Arsenal’s Champions League Momentum

Goals from Martinelli and Bukayo Saka sealed Arsenal’s win, ensuring Mikel Arteta’s side maintained their perfect Champions League start. The performance also underlined the squad’s depth, with summer arrivals like Martín Zubimendi and Eberechi Eze adding fresh options.

For Ødegaard, however, the night was about much more than three points—it was a statement of intent. With pundits like Hargreaves calling his display “ridiculous,” Arsenal fans will be hopeful their captain is ready to lead another deep run in Europe.

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