Redknapp claims Arsenal star is now better than De Bruyne after Fulham victory

Jamie Redknapp thinks Martin Odegaard is now the “number one” midfielder in the Premier League after Arsenal beat Fulham 3-0 on Sunday.

thanks to first-half goals from Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli and Odegaard with the victory restoring their five-point cushion at the top of the Premier League table.

Arsenal have been outstanding this season with a number of pundits and former players predicting they will fall away before the end of the season.

However, players like Odegaard have stepped up in difficult situations this season and Redknapp has been explaining why he thinks the Norway international is now better than Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne.

than anybody else in the Premier League, but Redknapp prefers Odegaard.

“Right now he’s number one. There’s nobody [better],” Redknapp told Sky Sports.

“Normally we would say Kevin De Bruyne is the best midfield player, not just in the Premier League but the world. But something isn’t quite right. He isn’t playing as many games as he’d like.

“But Odegaard does this thing where – all great players possess it – it’s like time stands still when he has the ball.

“Most players [would rush the shot today], especially midfield players as we’re not used to getting in those situations.

“But the calmness that he possesses, he’s scored four or five goals like that with that left foot. He’s the captain, he’s the leader.

“Yeah, for me he’s number one [in the Premier League]. And he’s leading that team.

“The other thing he does as well, when he hasn’t got the ball he goes and presses it. He’s the first one, the first point of defence, he goes and presses and then all of a sudden it catches. He does it so well.”

Former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink also praised Arsenal midfielder Odegaard on Sunday, he said: “He’s a different player than De Bruyne but he has always got a solution, you know.