Martin Keown believes Martin Odegaard is still ‘under pressure’ in an Arsenal shirt after the Gunners picked up a 3-0 win over Coventry City on Friday.
The Premier League champions got their title defence underway with a flawless performance against the newly-promoted Sky Blues at the Emirates.
Goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka put Arsenal in control early on before Odegaard added a third shortly after the break.
The Arsenal captain, who was named player of the match, has made a fast start to the season, having opened his goalscoring account in last weekend’s Community Shield.
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But Keown believes the Norwegian midfielder needs to maintain those levels, especially after an injury-hit campaign last season, in which he only started 16 league matches.
‘We need him back,’ Keown told Stan Sport at full-time.
‘He’s probably the one player who’s under more pressure than anybody else because he’s got Eze in the background and young Dowman is going to be an amazing talent.
‘So it’s important our captain is actually leading the way, and he was great again tonight.’
Fellow goalscorer Saka was another who dealt with injuries towards the end of last season, but looked back to his dangerous best in the opening match of this campaign.
Asked about the England winger’s performance, Keown added: ‘Every time he gets the ball, he has to do damage.
‘Last season, of course, the Achilles wasn’t at his best. It looks as if he’s over those handicaps and we can see the best of him.
‘He’s a tremendous, very humble individual; he kind of sets the standards.
‘He’s been the key player for Arteta since he’s been at the club and in order for Arsenal to win things, he’s got to be at his best. So good news that he doesn’t have any injury concerns anymore.’
And Keown was also keen to highlight the performance of new signing Christos Tzolis, who impressed in his first league start following his £34million move from Club Brugge earlier this summer.
‘I thought he was as good as a debutant, as I’ve seen since maybe Freddie Ljungberg back in the day,’ he said.
‘I don’t want to go overboard, but everything he did, the first goal he’s involved in, he shuts the ball down. He’s involved, obviously, as well for the cross when Saka scores.
‘It was a shame Bruno wasn’t fit because, between the two of them last year, I think they had 54 goal involvements, but this kid is looking to me like a really good signing.’
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