Odegaard: “We’re close to something really big” | Feature | News

Before every game at Emirates Stadium, Martin Odegaard lifts the lid on the mood in the camp via his captain’s notes published in the matchday programme.

Ahead of our game against Fulham, the skipper discusses last week’s win against Newcastle, the work being done on the training ground and Piero Hincapie’s impact during his debut campaign. Here is a snippet:

Since the final whistle on Wednesday we’ve been looking forward to today’s game and concentrating on how we can get the three points.

The energy is great at the training ground right now. I think everyone is feeling that we’re close to something really big and that gives you a bit of extra energy and extra fire every day in your work.

We got a good result last weekend in our last game here at Emirates Stadium against Newcastle. It was an intense, tough game and the main thing was always to get the win and we managed that well. It’s always tough to play against Newcastle, they are a very physical and organised side. Obviously they have quality as well, so there’s going to be periods where they have the ball, but I thought we did well to get over the line and take another three points in a big game.

At this stage of the season it’s great to be able to rely on our defensive record, so it was important to keep another clean sheet. That’s a big strength we have – we know that we’re so solid at the back and the clean sheet is always big in this league because it gives you a great chance of winning the game. That’s what happened last weekend.

Obviously we would like to have scored a few more goals, but the main thing was to get the win and we got that. The way we defended was brilliant, throughout the team, and it’s great to see players like Piero Hincapie in their first season at the club have such a great impact.

From the first day he came in, he’s brought a huge energy and he’s so competitive. He always gives everything every day in training and every single game. You can see he really leaves everything out there – he’s so aggressive and good on the ball. He’s a complete defender, I’d say, and he’s been a great addition to the team. To play at this level straight away in his first season in the league is brilliant.

The goal was another top, top finish from Ebs – it’s another big goal he’s got for us. We always try to find ways to create chances and to score goals in training, and our goal last weekend was an example of that.

We’ve scored a lot from set pieces and it’s not always about just putting the ball in the box. There’s different ways to do it, and if we can be more effective sometimes, then we want to be able to do all of it. The work at the training ground paid off for that goal and it’s always a great feeling when that happens.

I know there may have been a few nerves for everyone watching in the final stages of the game, but I can tell you it’s much easier to cope with that when you are playing. You’re so focused on your job and what you have to do that you don’t think about anything else. You just think about your job and do whatever you can.

Read the rest of Martin’s notes, as well as a host of other fantastic content, by buying the Arsenal v Fulham programme either around the stadium or online