Arsenal player set for huge achievement against Fulham if he starts With another London derby in the Premier League on Sunday, Arsenal star is set to reach an impressive milestone

Arsenal player set for huge achievement against Fulham if he starts

With another London derby in the Premier League on Sunday, Arsenal star is set to reach an impressive milestone

Arsenal will take on Fulham in a highly anticipated London derby on Sunday, with captain Martin Odegaard poised to achieve a significant milestone at Craven Cottage. If selected to start, the 25-year-old Norwegian will lead the Gunners for the 100th time in competitive action, marking another chapter in his remarkable journey at the club.

Odegaard’s return from a three-month injury layoff has been pivotal to Arsenal’s resurgence this season. Since his comeback, the Gunners have won four of their last six matches, scoring 18 goals in the process and displaying their best form of the campaign.

The midfielder’s leadership journey began in March 2022 when he first captained Arsenal against Southampton. Reflecting on that moment, Odegaard previously said: “It was a big honour. To get that trust from the manager and the whole club after just one year was huge. I was happy and proud and tried to do my best.”

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Odegaard has exceeded expectations, not just as a player but also as a leader. According to Opta, Arsenal have won 66 of the 99 matches he has captained, giving him a win percentage of 66.7%. This is the highest win rate of any Arsenal captain with 20 or more games since the club’s famous title-winning campaign of 1988/89, putting him ahead of iconic figures like Tony Adams, Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, and even current manager Mikel Arteta.

Martin Odegaard

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard (Image credit: Getty Images)

Odegaard will become only the fifth player to captain Arsenal in 100 matches since 1989, joining the ranks of Adams, Vieira, Per Mertesacker, and Laurent

Ahead of Sunday’s clash, Arteta heaped praise on his captain during the pre-match press conference. “He’s a massive player,” Arteta said. “He showed again in big matches what he can deliver—the spirit he brings to the team and the quality he has to play the way we need to play. I’m really happy with him.”

Highlighting Odegaard’s blend of character and performance, Arteta added: “Martin is unique—his personality, the way he’s been raised and educated is at the highest level. He represents our club and team in the best possible way.”