Arsenal headed into their clash with Nottingham Forest knowing that they simply had to win, and Bukayo Saka was well aware of the task at hand.
Saka started the game brightly, and stepped up when his team needed inspiration in attack, scoring an outstanding goal to give Arsenal the lead in the 14th minute.
Martin Odegaard picked up the ball inside the box from Saka’s pass, and laid it back off to him, before the winger dribbled past three players and fired in a fierce shot.
This is Odegaard’s first appearance at the Emirates Stadium since August, and Arsenal fans are already delighted with him.
Saka and Odegaard combined well throughout the first half, and fans took to X to praise the pair after the opening goal.
“The Odegaard/Saka combination. Beautiful,” one fan posted.
“Odegaard and Saka are magic,” another added.
“Nobody else in our team attempts that Odegaard pass. Incredible finish and individual play from Saka but hes only allowed to make that play because Odegaard has slipped that ball and broken the structure to fight tight spaces,” a fan pointed out.
“WHAT A GOAL. Merino keeps the pressure on really well. The Odegaard pass to Saka is sensational and Saka’s finish is incredible,” another claimed.
A small fraction of Arsenal fans had claimed that Saka plays better without Odegaard in the team, and some fans have pointed out how absurd this idea was.
“They were talking about Odegaard taking Saka’s space uno We got some absolute weirdos in this fanbase,” a fan posted.
“Can’t believe Saka and Odegaard stans try pit these hoopers against each other. Both of them are insane ballers they work so well together.” another claimed.
Bukayo Saka’s first-half stats vs Nottingham Forest
Saka was electric even beyond his goal, and it is clear to see that Odegaard’s return has helped him thrive on the wing.
The 23-year-old fired in five shots, with two going on target, whilst he also created three chances for his teammates.
Saka also had 10 touches in the opposition box, and won three duels, with his battling performance on the right giving Nottingham Forest left-back Alex Moreno nightmares.
The Englishman has been sensational this season, and the return of Odegaard should mean that he continues to deliver world-class performances for the rest of the campaign.
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