Wayne Rooney heaps praise “excellent” Arsenal star after come-back win vs Chelsea

Wayne Rooney has heaped praise on Martin Ødegaard after Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Chelsea on Sunday, describing the Norwegian captain as excellent and highlighting his ability to slow the game down and dictate tempo as the key to what makes him so effective.

Ødegaard scored the winner at the Emirates to seal a comeback victory, one that continued Arsenal’s perfect start to their Premier League title defence.

Kai Havertz had cancelled out Morgan Rogers’ early Chelsea goal before the captain produced the decisive moment, his winning strike almost a carbon copy of the way he had scored against Manchester City in the Community Shield, Christos Tzolis playing the ball inside, Kai Havertz’s dummy creating the space, and Ødegaard arriving to smash past Emi Martinez.

It was his third goal of the season already, surpassing his entire tally from last term and putting him halfway to his 2024/25 campaign total in the space of just four matches. Arsenal have won all four of their opening Premier League fixtures as they look to defend their title.

The 27-year-old spent much of the last few years managing injury issues and mixed form, unable to reach the levels he had made his trademark at the Emirates. The early signs this season suggest that a fit and fully focused Ødegaard is back to his very best, and Rooney was not short of superlatives when assessing what he had witnessed on Sunday.

Rooney’s verdict on Odegaard

Speaking on Match of the Day, Rooney was gushing in his assessment of Arsenal’s captain.

“I thought today he was excellent, and he dictates the play for Arsenal,” Rooney said. “But what I liked today was his willingness to run forward and get beyond the forward and make the penalty box and make things happen.”

He continued: “He comes deep, he gets on the ball, he starts the attack for Arsenal. Slows the game down, playing at his pace and dictating the tempo for Arsenal. Keeps the ball moving, but what I really liked was that he didn’t stop.

“He plays the ball out wide and now he sees the space, little pocket, he comes into it and plays a really clever pass to create a really good opportunity for Arsenal.”

The numbers behind the praise

Ødegaard’s performance was not just about the winning goal. He created four chances and registered 0.88 expected assists, narrowly missing out on a deserved assist on top of his goal.

Perhaps most impressively, he made 19 line-breaking passes across the 90 minutes, while also contributing defensively with three recoveries and three duels won.

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The 2022/23 season saw Ødegaard net 15 Premier League goals; an elite level of output Arsenal will be desperate for him to rediscover. 

Arsenal are nestled at the top of league alongside fellow title hopefuls Manchester City with three wins from three, a level of point scoring which matches a close and interesting race. Yet titles are not a sprint and plenty of football is yet to played.