The Albany Gazette - Giggs names Odegaard as favourite Arsenal player after strong start

Ryan Giggs has selected Martin Odegaard as his current favourite Arsenal player, praising the midfielder’s influence as the club begins its Premier League title defence.

Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel, the former Manchester United and Wales player said Odegaard was controlling matches, collecting possession from defenders, making runs behind opponents and contributing when Arsenal did not have the ball.

Odegaard has started the season with goals in the Community Shield and Premier League matches against Coventry City and Chelsea. He also scored the winner against Napoli in the Champions League the previous week.

The improvement follows a quieter league campaign by his standards, when he recorded one goal and six assists during Arsenal’s title-winning season. He had offered a greater goal threat in his second and third years at the Emirates and was twice named the club’s Player of the Season.

Odegaard had less influence during Arsenal’s 2-0 victory at Sunderland over the weekend. Giggs nevertheless regarded the team’s performance as evidence that it was ready to defend the championship.

He said winning away at Sunderland after European competition was demanding, praising the opponents and the home atmosphere. He highlighted Bruno Guimaraes’ goal and Arsenal’s control of the game, alongside the options available to manager Mikel Arteta.

Giggs argued that Arsenal could make four or five changes without weakening the side and might improve through substitutions. He said the squad appeared to have two capable players for most positions, giving Arteta confidence to rotate.

Drawing on his record 13 Premier League titles under Alex Ferguson, Giggs said defending a championship requires renewed effort because opponents are particularly motivated to beat the winners. He described the psychological challenge of committing to another difficult season after reaching the top.

He recalled that Arsenal had faltered with about a month remaining during the previous campaign despite playing well overall. He said similar difficulties could arise again, making fresh players and a deep squad valuable.

Giggs contrasted Arsenal’s options with Manchester United’s display against Manchester City, saying United had not looked fresh. Many of their players had also appeared on the preceding Thursday. He said adapting to European matches followed by major weekend fixtures takes time.

Arsenal next travel to Ipswich in the Carabao Cup before facing Brighton at the Amex Stadium four days later. The source report raised the possibility of Odegaard resting for the cup tie.

Arsenal won both league meetings with Brighton last season, 2-0 at home and 2-1 on the south coast against Fabian Hurzeler’s side. Brighton opened 2026-27 with a 4-0 win over Aston Villa, then recorded a win, a draw and a defeat in their subsequent matches.

Giggs said Arteta’s trust in his players would allow him to change several positions as the schedule required. He regarded that confidence as part of Arsenal’s strength, linking rotation with the challenge of returning to domestic competition after Europe. His assessment was based on the Sunderland performance despite Odegaard having a comparatively quieter match.

Giggs praised Odegaard’s defensive work as well as his attacking involvement.

(T.Wright--TAG)