Shearer and Sutton. Rooney and Ronaldo. Vardy and Mahrez. Drogba and Lampard. Silva and Aguero. Many Premier League champions have brilliant duos – key attacking supply lines that feed the goals.
If Arsenal are to challenge for the title this season, it will be up to their own deadly duo – Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard. – Going into Sunday’s big game at Anfield between Liverpool and Manchester City, Arsenal are in second place with 25 points.
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Saturday’s 5-2 win at West Ham, in which Arsenal were irresistible for a 25-minute period in a manic first half, showed what they are capable of when both men are healthy and fit.
Most tellingly, Saka and Ødegaard combined to set up the second goal, shortly after West Ham thought they had equalised only for Crysencio Summerville’s choppy finish to be ruled out for offside.
Ødegaard’s chipped through ball for Saka was delightful, as was the Englishman’s square pass to Leandro Trossard who knocked home the scoring.
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Their relationship on the field is so good that they can even share criminal duties. With both Saka and Ødegaard netting from the spot, Arsenal scored two penalties in the first half for the first time in a Premier League match.
“He asked me for the ball – he wanted to score,” Saka told BBC Match of the Day about Ødegaard taking the first penalty. “He gives me a lot of balls, so it’s nice to give it back to him.”
Saka and Ødegaard are key for Arsenal – if both are fit they have a chance to chase Liverpool down the lead. The terrible display at Bournemouth, when both were absent with injury, illustrated how Arsenal struggle without them.
That game was the bottom of a seven Premier League games in which Ødegaard was absent with an ankle sprain. In the three league games since his return, the Arsenal captain has contributed a goal or assist in each one.
“I’m just wondering, has Martin Ødegaard been as big a loss for Arsenal as Rodri for Manchester City?” asked Chris Sutton on BBC Radio 5 Live. “Arsenal are growing on me. With Martin Ødegaard back, they are a different team.”
What the stats say about Saka and Ødegaard
Arsenal haven’t lost a Premier League game Ødegaard has played in since April – but it’s noteworthy from some key stats that while Saka has played twice the minutes of Ødegaard, he has much more than double the Norwegian’s numbers in several key figures.
In 499 Premier League minutes this season, Ødegaard has scored one goal, provided two assists, had three shots and created four more chances.
In 981 league minutes, Saka has scored five goals, provided 10 assists, taken 40 shots and created another 36 chances for his teammates.
Based on these statistics, it can be argued that Saka somehow remains undervalued. But the statistics reflect Arsenal’s pipeline.
Ødegaard feeds Saka, Saka feeds the team – and Saka gets the glamorous statistics.
Ødegaard completed more passes in the final third than any other player on the pitch against West Ham (27), with Saka the second most (24). The pair also transitioned to each other more than any other combination in the game.
It was encapsulated at the London Stadium. Saka created four chances to Ødegaard’s one, and had nine touches in the West Ham box.
Ødegaard’s only touch in the home field was the penalty he scored.
“Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard connected beautifully at times, and they looked like the side we’ve seen in the last couple of years,” Jamie Redknapp told Sky Sports.
“It just shows everyone what Ødegaard does for this team – he knits it together. He is the glue in the team. He’s an absolute delight to watch, and you can see how much better they are with him.
“He frees up Saka and gives him that time in one-on-one situations that you can’t really have unless Odegaard is playing.”
Saka had more touches inside the West Ham box – and more shots on target – than any other Arsenal player
That does not mean that Saka is dependent on Ødegaard to create. The winger, who looks far from exhausted after a punishing 2024 that included his crucial role in England’s Euros campaign, is in the form of his life.
Saka, whose 5-2 penalty was his first away league goal of the season, has now been directly involved in 15 Premier League goals in 2024-25 – second only to Mohamed Salah’s 16.
You could even argue that Saka has 16 goals involved if you include that he was fouled for the first Arsenal penalty against West Ham. After all, it counts as an assist on Fantasy Football.
“Unbelievable,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told his post-match media conference about Saka’s attacking numbers. “This is the hardest thing to do in football – to influence the scoreline in that way.”
Of these 15 official engagements, 10 have been Saka assistants. Only Harry Kane, Cesc Fabregas and Mesut Ozil have reached double-digit assists in fewer games in a team’s Premier League season
“We’re back to our best form”
“Today was a top performance from us, and we scored a lot of goals,” Saka told BBC Match of the Day. “We are playing good football right now and we want to continue like this.
“We are back in our best form – we look fluid and dynamic. We’re all enjoying football right now.”
Liverpool have been close to perfect so far in the Premier League, so Arsenal will have to wait and hope for a dip – so go for it if it comes.
As Sutton said on BBC Radio 5 Live: “With Arsenal, it now looks like they’re in form. Good for them – the title race continues.”
If it is to manifest, it is the dynamic duo of Saka and Ødegaard who make it happen.
