Shearer and Sutton. Rooney and Ronaldo. Vardy and Mahrez. Drogba and Lampard. Silva and Aguero. Many Premier League champions have double acts – crucial attacking supply lines that fuel the title chase.
If Arsenal is to compete for the crown this season, it will be up to their own dangerous combo of Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard. Saturday’s 5-2 victory against West Ham, in which Arsenal were unstoppable for 25 minutes in a frantic first half, demonstrated what they are capable of when both men are on form.
The most significant moment came when Saka and Odegaard combined to set up the lethal second goal, just after West Ham believed they had equalised only for Crysencio Summerville’s chipped finish to be ruled out for offside. Odegaard’s chipped through ball to Saka was fantastic, as was the Englishman’s square delivery to Leandro Trossard, who tapped in.
Their on-field friendship is so strong that they can even split penalty responsibilities. Arsenal scored two penalties in the first half for the first time in a Premier League match, with Saka and Odegaard converting from the spot.
“He asked me for the ball – he wanted to score,” Saka told BBC Match of the Day of Odegaard’s first penalty. “He gives me a lot of balls so it is nice to return that to him.” Saka and Odegaard are Arsenal’s main players; if both are fit, they have a chance of chasing Liverpool down.
The poor performance at Bournemouth, when both were out due to injury, demonstrated how Arsenal struggles without them. Odegaard was unavailable for seven Premier League games due to an ankle sprain. In the three league games since his comeback, Arsenal’s captain has scored or assisted in every one.
What statistics indicate about Saka and Odegaard
Arsenal has not lost a Premier League game in which Odegaard has appeared since April – but certain crucial numbers show that, while Saka has played twice as many minutes as Odegaard, he has far outperformed the Norwegian in several critical criteria.
In 499 Premier League minutes this season, Odegaard has scored one goal, assisted twice, taken three shots, and created four chances. In 981 league minutes, Saka has five goals, 10 assists, 40 shots, and 36 chances created for teammates.
Based on these statistics, one could argue that Saka is still underestimated. However, the statistics reflect the Arsenal pipeline. Odegaard feeds Saka, Saka feeds the team, and Saka receives the coveted stats.
That was encapsulated in London Stadium. Saka produced four chances to Odegaard’s one, and he made nine touches in the West Ham box. Odegaard’s only touch in the home area was the penalty he converted.
“Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard linked up beautifully at times and they looked like the side we’ve seen over the last couple of years,” Jamie Redknapp told Sky Sports during the match. “It just demonstrates what Odegaard does for this team: he knits it together. He is the glue that holds the squad together.
He is an amazing joy to see, and you can tell how much better they are with him. “He frees Saka up and gives him that time in one-on-one situations that you can’t really have unless Odegaard is playing.”
That is not to claim Saka relies on Odegaard to create. The winger, far from weary after a rigorous 2024 that featured a key role in England’s European Championship campaign, is in top form.
Saka’s penalty to make it 5-2 was his first away league goal of the season, and he is now directly involved in 15 Premier League goals in 2024-25, second only to Mohamed Salah’s 16. Saka may even claim 16 goal involvements if you including his foul for Arsenal’s first penalty against West Ham. It counts as an assist in Fantasy Football, after all.
ll. “Incredible,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said of Saka’s attacking figures during his post-match press conference. “This is the hardest thing to do in football – to impact the scoreline in that way.” Saka has assisted in ten of the fifteen official involvements. Only Harry Kane, Cesc Fabregas, and Mesut Ozil have accumulated double-digit assists in fewer Premier League outings.
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