Martin Odegaard: The 8 games that made me

Three days after arriving on loan from Real Madrid, Martin was thrust into the thick of Premier League action - against Manchester United no less. Thrown into the fray by Mikel Arteta after 83 minutes, it was a first - albeit strange - taste of life in England with the country still in a Covid-19 lockdown.

"I watched Arsenal a lot growing up. I came to the club when I was 15 and I remember the Emirates was so nice, so to finally play there was a dream come true.

"We didn’t have supporters in the stadium at the time which was a shame, but it was just a really nice moment.

"So much has changed since then; it feels like a different time. We’ve done so much in two years, so it’s good to see the progression for the team, and myself."

If you were to choose the perfect time to score your first Premier League goal as an Arsenal player, it would almost definitely be in a win against Tottenham. This was a derby day with a difference, but it was a rivalry Martin quickly understood - and made his mark on.

"Everything was just strange at this time. Playing in empty stadiums meant everything was just a bit dead compared to the adrenaline you always get.

"But before this game, I still got that feeling going into the training ground, talking to people who have been at the club for a long time. You saw the supporters on social media and you could feel the tension even though they weren't there.

"You felt straight away that it was something special. To score in my first derby and get my first Premier League goal was an amazing feeling and a very proud moment."

After five months in north London, things were working out well for Martin. Gooners were back at the Emirates for the final day of the season, but with his future in the balance, the midfielder didn't know if he was waving goodbye to them for the summer, or for good.

"It was strange because I wanted to stay, the club wanted me to stay, but Madrid owned me and wanted me to come back, so I didn’t know if it was the last game.

"I think there were 10,000 supporters there, and I could tell how special it would be with a full stadium. After being in empty stadiums, playing in front of that number felt like a dream.

"At the end, it didn’t feel like a goodbye but I went to say goodbye in case it was the case, so it was a very tricky situation. My intention, and what I wanted, was always to stay here."

After completing his permanent switch that summer, Martin's influence on our team and the club continued to grow. That peaked on this trip to St Mary's, when he was handed the captain's armband for the first time.

"I first found out when one of the coaches told me the day before that maybe I was going to be captain. Then I had a short conversation with Mikel just before the game - that was it basically!

"It was a big honour. To get that trust from the manager and the whole club after being here for just one year was huge, so it made me feel good. I was happy and proud about it.

"I stepped in and tried to do as well as possible. I didn’t change too much, I just did a lot of the same things and tried to play my game to the best of my ability."

After a number of highs came the biggest low. A promising season that saw us occupy a Champions League spot going into the final weeks of the season ultimately ended in heartbreak, but this night on Tyneside would spark a determination inside our midfielder to put things right.

"That was one of the hardest days of my time here so far. We did so well for the whole season to fight for the top four and it felt like we had it, but then suddenly we start dropping points.

"Then we get to this game. We played so badly and lost the spot, so it was one of the most painful days in my career. We have learned a lot from this game, but also the whole experience of missing out.

"We used it as fuel to come back hungrier and more prepared this season. The Champions League is now already secured with many games to play, and I think that shows how much we used this game in a good way."

A response was required, and it arrived just six days later as Everton were put to the sword on the final day of the campaign. As one of five players to get on the scoresheet that afternoon, Martin sensed that perhaps things would be different following the summer break.

"It was important to end the season well, and put things straight even though it didn’t change a lot for us. I think the frustration was still there after the previous game.

"Even though we won and it was a nice win, the frustration was still there going into the break. I feel everyone was really disappointed going into the holidays.

"The whole season showed we were capable of doing amazing things and we played some really good games, beat some good teams and showed in periods that we have the ability to be up there. We’ve just taken it to another level."

This was perhaps the afternoon that showed that 2022/23 would be different. Three goals led to three points and three wins from three, moving us to the top of the table. Our newly-appointed captain netted his first brace for the club to cap a perfect afternoon on the south coast.

"It was a nice day, and I was really keen to score. In the first game, I had a big chance against Crystal Palace but I missed, so I really wanted to get on the scoresheet and I did twice.

"I think scoring goals is a lot about feeling and confidence, and sometimes you just need a game like this where you score one or two goals and then it comes a bit easier afterwards.

"I had a very good feeling from pre-season, with the signings we made and the games we played then. I felt from the beginning we were at a much higher level than the year before, so to start well was important and good for the momentum."

As far as north London derbies go, they don't get much better than this. Martin became the first Arsenal captain to win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with his goal just as memorable as the post-match celebrations with the away end.

"It’s up there as my best day at the club! It’s always nice to beat them. The year before we had a tough day there and a lot of things went against us, but this year was different. We had that feeling going into the game.

"We played so well in the first half and dominated everything. I scored myself which was nice - I think it's my best goal for the club so far, due to the meaning and importance of it.

"Celebrating with our supporters afterwards was brilliant! I remember running across the whole pitch to celebrate with them - I think they enjoyed it, and we did as well!"

This was a game that had everything, all played out in a cauldron-like atmosphere. After seeing his team go a goal down after eight seconds and then concede again, this was a huge test of Martin's captaincy credentials. He passed with flying colours.

"It is the craziest game I've been involved in here. I think it’s impossible to describe the feeling when we got the winner late on after fighting so hard, and the struggle we went through to win it in the last minute.

"At that time I just remember being exhausted, mentally and physically. When Reiss scored, I remember going down on the floor and celebrating and seeing the staff coming onto the pitch.

"I don’t think I’ve ever seen the Emirates like that, I can’t explain the feeling. It was a crazy, beautiful moment."