Why Declan Rice shouting at Martin Odegaard was perfect for Arsenal after Brighton masterclass

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard enjoyed a masterclass level performance against Brighton in the 2-1 win at the Emirates.

Every Arsenal goal, no matter who scores it should fill anyone with an association to the club with joy, naturally. However, I have to be honest, when Martin Odegaard struck the ball from outside the box and into the bottom right-hand corner, that felt good.

Many reasons outline why this goal was particularly satisfying, but above all, to stand as a reminder of just exactly how good the captain is. I further appreciated the aftermath to the goal, Declan Rice pointing with passion at his captain, as if to remind those to give the Norwegian his flowers.

Rice and Odegaard have been embroiled in some needless artificial debate about captaincy. Having asked the England international myself about his views on his captain, he could not have made it clearer that the former Real Madrid talent is both an amazing player and their unquestionable captain.

While the likes of Tony Adams might feel it appropriate to come out at the start of the season to make the claim that the Gunners will never win a major trophy with Odegaard wearing the armband, those inside the club and the players could not be sitting further away from Mr Arsenal when it comes to this particular talking point.

Would I like more from Odegaard? Should he be scoring more? Assisting more? Well, if we can get more from him, then he is going to be some player.

While Odegaard created more chances in this game (four) than any other, it isn’t just the one-off fixture which should be fixated upon. Look across what has been, by Odegaard’s own high standards, a difficult year peppered with multiple injuries of different types and absences, and the numbers speak for themselves.

Although this game was another example of the 27-year-old's importance. Only Jan Paul van Hecke (16), Diego Coppola (10) and Declan Rice (9) made more than Odegaard's eight line-breaking passes, while the three defensive line-breaking balls were more than anyone else.

According to Opta, Odegaard, in Europe’s top five leagues, is among the top 2% of midfielders for assists per 90 minutes (0.28). Feel free to read that back again, the top 2%.

Granted there is more to the game than just creating goals and assist numbers can sometimes be skewed. A pass before a 30-yard screamer goes down as one, so I can perhaps understand some scepticism, but let’s zoom out and look at a bigger picture.

Top 4% for non-penalty xG plus expected assists per 90 (0.38), top 3% for shot creating actions per 90 (4.79), top 3% for progressive passes per 90 (9.35) top 1% for progressive carries per 90 (3.5), top 6% for shots on target per 90 (0.69) and the top 1% for passes into the penalty area per 90 (2.96). So, when we consider the figures of the most elite attacking midfield players, Odegaard stands above most of them.

It is perhaps, therefore, little surprise that he has wrestled back the starting role from Eberechi Eze so firmly. He also very rarely loses in challenges, just 0.63 per 90, and has an error which leads to an opponent shot per 90 sitting at 0.03.

With the number of times he fed Bukayo Saka, it was criminal that he left the field with just the single goal contribution. Ankle, shoulder and knee injuries have plagued his last 18 months, but now back and fully fit, Odegaard is aiming high.

Rice, meanwhile, played the right-back role perfectly in the absence of Jurrien Timber. Mikel Arteta couldn’t have been full of more praise for his stalwart midfielder-turned-full-back in the wake of the result.

Arteta was asked whether the injuries were in some ways “uniting” the team to which he replied: “Yes, because as well there are injuries with Jurrien, he landed awkwardly and there's something with Richy, it was something as well, very, very strange.

“Yeah, but you speak to Declan and tell him he needs to play there as a right winger, and he said, ‘Okay, I'm up for a challenge, I'm going to do my best.’ And the attitude is great to witness.”

Arsenal will face Aston Villa in just two days’ time, and the title-chasing surprise package of the season will be without their own starting full back, Matty Cash, and starting defensive midfielder Boubacar Kamara, who both picked up their fifth yellow cards in the win at Chelsea. This is a massive game for the Gunners who were cruelly beaten by the Villains less than a month ago at Villa Park after an Emi Buendia strike with effectively the last kick of the game.

Arteta was able to welcome back Gabriel Magalhaes to the squad and even brought him on to the field in the second half. Having the Brazilian back who, alongside William Saliba, were both absent for the last meeting between the pair, is a huge boost.

That said, losing both Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber in the space of 24 hours before the Brighton win is another huge blow. The hope is they might both recover for the game but Arteta could give little insight.

On Calafiori, he said, “It's something that he felt yesterday, something very awkward that happened, and today in the warm-up he wasn’t comfortable.” Before the game, speaking to Sky Sports, he said on Timber: "We missed him because in the last part of the game [against Crystal Palace] he felt something and he could not carry on so he's out."

Timber did complete the game and score his penalty in the shootout against the South London club, so it might be posited that the issue is not too serious. At least that is what Arteta will be hoping with very tightly crossed fingers.