Summary Arsenal's impressive comeback in goalscoring prowess showcases their strength and offensive power in recent games. Martin Odegaard displayed a stellar performance with exceptional stats, proving his pivotal role in Arsenal's success on the field. William Saliba's record-breaking passes highlight his influence in Arsenal's control of the ball, making him a key asset in their victory.
The sky is blue, the grass is green and Arsenal have scored four or more in a game again.
It was only a couple of months ago that Mikel Arteta's side were in the midst of a goalscoring crisis, with just a single goal coming from 63 shots at one point.
However, in the intervening months, the Gunners have quickly turned into the most lethal team in the country and, after dispatching Sheffield United 6-0 on Monday night, currently possess a goal difference of plus 45 – the best in the league.
It was the sort of performance in which each and every player could leave the pitch with their heads held high, but there were two in particular who deserved to be singled out for praise, the first of which was the captain.
Martin Odegaard's game in numbers
Yes, Martin Odegaard put in what might be one of his best performances of the season at Bramall Lane last night and was justly rewarded with the Man of the Match award.
The mercurial midfielder was involved in practically every aspect of the game, whether through his silky passing, thunderous shots or tireless pressing. He was everywhere, and the Sheffield United players will be having nightmares for weeks.
The Norwegian's brilliance was recognised by the Standard's Simon Collings' who gave his performance a 9/10 on the night, writing that he 'ran the show in midfield' and that the Blades 'couldn't lay a glove' on him.
It's a very complimentary assessment, but one backed up by the numbers, as in Odegaard's 95 minutes of action, he scored a goal, registered 0.21 expected assists, took a mammoth 115 touches, made four key passes, was accurate in both of his attempted long balls, created one big chance and succeeded in all three of his dribbles.
Minutes
95
Goals
1
Expected Assists
0.21
Touches
115
Key Passes
4
Accurate Passes
84/93 (90%)
Long Balls (Completed)
2 (2)
Big Chances Created
1
Attempted Dribbles (Successful)
3 (3)
In all, it was about as close to a perfect game as fans will see from their 25-year-old wizard, and while he fully deserves all the praise he's received, there's another starter who deserves just as much credit.
William Saliba's game in numbers
The other player in question is French international and "Rolls-Royce of a defender", as dubbed by The Athletic's Aaron Catterson-Reid, William Saliba.
Now, from looking at the score alone, fans might assume that the 22-year-old had very little to do on the night, and while that might be somewhat true from a defensive point of view, that doesn't mean that he was just sitting in the Arsenal half twiddling his thumbs all game – far from it.
In fact, when looking at his statistics from the match, it becomes quite clear that he was busy throughout, as in his 95 minutes of action, he took 180 touches, was accurate in 169 of his 174 passes, won two of his three duels, lost possession just six times, made one clearance and one interception.
The standout statistics are the number of touches and passes made by the Bondy-born "monster", as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and while they're impressive in isolation, they are even more remarkable when compared to the historical data.
Minutes
95
Touches
180
Accurate Passes
169/174 (97%)
Duels (Won)
3 (2)
Lost Possession
6
Clearances
1
Interceptions
1
According to Orbinho, the head of Optajoe, the Frenchman's 169 passes ranks as the most completed by an Arsenal player in Premier League history, surpassing Santi Cazorla, who held the record previously and sitting behind just three Manchester City players for the most passes in a Premier League match ever.
Incredibly, that tally of passes also happened to be more than the entire of the Sheffield United team combined (142) on the night, a stat that truly sums up Arsenal's dominance in Yorkshire.
In all, while it might not look like the former Saint-Étienne man was doing much considering the score, he was very much involved in the game, so Collings' 6/10 rating and assessment that he was 'rarely called upon' doesn't entirely ring true.
Ultimately, Odegaard fully deserves all the praise he received for his unreal performance last night, but Saliba should also get recognition for his contribution with the ball at his feet.
