Jack Wilshere believes Martin Odegaard must start against Fulham, insisting Arsenal are a ‘different team’ with their skipper in the guts of midfield.
The Gunners can temporarily move six points clear of Manchester City at the highest of the Premier League table with a win against Fulham on Saturday.
Mikel Arteta’s side are set to be without Jurrien Timber and Kai Havertz, while Odegaard is a minor doubt for the sport after his withdrawal within the secodn half against Atletico Madrid.
The Norwegian midfielder has had an injury-affected campaign, which has seen him capable of start just 15 league games thus far this season.
But former Arsenal midfielder Wilshere believes the Odegaard has to start out against Fulham if fit, such is his importance to the side with and without the ball.
‘With Arsenal, I feel Odegaard is essential,’ Wilshere told talkSPORT. ‘He’s a player who takes risks. He’s a player who, even out of possession, sets all the pieces.
‘I feel he’s had a number of injuries this season, possibly lost a little bit of form at times. When Martin’s playing, it’s a special team. It’s a special team, and they appear braver.’
But Wilshere, who was a part of Arsenal’s academy coaching set-up under Arteta before moving to Norwich after which Luton Town, said he would really like to see his former side get back to a more free-flowing sort of football.
‘When Mikel first got here in, it was about playing,’ he said ‘It was a giant deal with build-up, on finding the free play, and so they were really, really good at it.
‘I feel then, as a coach and as a team, you usually must look for methods to evolve, to look for methods to vary slightly bit the way you’re playing, because teams will begin to work you out. I believed Mikel’s done that basically well.
‘I feel over the previous few years, there was slightly little bit of a change in style, but this can also be not only Arsenal, right? You take a look at City and bringing Haaland in, and the way they played into him slightly bit more.
‘I remember playing against City in a cup final at Wembley, after which the goalie kicking it over all of us, and Aguero scoring. It’s been around for some time.
‘Mikel has obviously thought that that is one of the best solution to win the league. They’ve fallen short over the previous few years against the Liverpool team, against the City team that prefer to dominate the ball.
‘And Arsenal couldn’t get it done. He obviously sees this as the best way forward. At times, I would really like to see them play slightly bit more as well.’
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