‘Best player on the pitch’ – Peter Schmeichel drools over Arsenal star after win over Chelsea

Peter Schmeichel picked out Martin Odegaard for special praise after Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Chelsea, claiming no other team in the country has a player of such ‘quality’.

Odegaard scored what proved to be the decisive goal as Arsenal, the reigning Premier League champions, overcame their bitter London rivals to emerge from the Emirates with maximum points.

The Gunners were forced to come from behind in Sunday’s compelling derby after Morgan Rogers volleyed the visitors in front in only the second minute.

Former Chelsea forward Kai Havertz squeezed the ball past Emiliano Martinez to make it all square midway through the first half, before Odegaard kept his cool to give the hosts the lead just five minutes after the restart.

The result means Arsenal are now unbeaten in their last 12 encounters with Chelsea, dating back to the latter’s 2-1 victory at the Emirates in August 2021.

It leaves Mikel Arteta’s side level on points with Manchester City at the top of the table, while Chelsea remain in fourth – three points adrift of the pacesetters at this embryonic stage of the season.

‘I’ve seen that thing that no one else has in this league. Every time they lose the ball, it feels like there’s an extra Arsenal player on the pitch,’ former Manchester United goalkeeper Schmeichel said on Viaplay of Arsenal’s performance.

‘We talked about predictions before the game, this is what I’ve seen in the first two games.

‘No other team has that kind of work-rate, organised work-rate, and also the ability to do it.

‘It’s one thing organising yourself in doing it, the other thing is having the energy and you could see as the game progressed with the substitutions, you don’t see a difference. It’s the same thing.’

Schmeichel went on to highlighted Odegaard’s vital importance to Arsenal, stating: ‘My God, how good is he? For me, he was the best player on the pitch.

‘Of course, we are seeing, we are noticing, what kind of player we like.

‘This guy… what he does for this team is just so impressive. He’s technically so good.

‘What he sees, nobody else sees that. Take him out of Arsenal’s team and it’s very, very difficult to see what would happen then.

‘I don’t think there’s a team in the country that has a player of that quality.’

Schmeichel’s Viaplay colleague and former team-mate Jaap Stam was also mightily impressed by Arsenal’s showing against a team many have been tipping as potential title contenders.

The ex-United and Netherlands centre-back was especially glowing with his praise for Havertz, suggesting the German had ‘proven’ his doubters wrong.

‘In the past, people were asking whether he’s the ideal number nine,’ Stam said.

‘Well I think he’s proven very much that he’s a top-class player and very important for this Arsenal side.

‘Mikel Arteta of course wants to have a striker, a number nine, who can drop into certain areas to link up with other players in the midfield, with Odegaard, or on the side with the wingers.

‘Havertz is one of the best players to do so in this squad and he played a tremendous game.’

Arsenal kick off their Champions League campaign at Serie A giants Napoli on Wednesday night before returning to top-flight action with a tough away trip at Sunderland next weekend.

Chelsea, meanwhile, face high-flying Hull in their next Premier League contest.

First, though, Alonso’s men do battle with Leeds in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening.

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