Declan Rice has given his assessment of Arsenal team-mate Martin Ødegaard’s performances this season after the club captain scored again to secure a narrow Champions League victory over Napoli on Wednesday.
Ødegaard has found the net four times in five matches during the current campaign. His latest goal came against Napoli and was enough to give the London club a 1-0 win.
The Norway international’s return in front of goal represents a significant change from his output last season. Ødegaard scored only once during the whole of the previous campaign, despite making 36 appearances.
Rice, who plays alongside Ødegaard in Arsenal’s midfield, spoke about the captain’s contribution as the 2025-26 season has begun. His comments come after Ødegaard again proved decisive in Europe, with his goal settling a closely contested match and giving the Gunners a minimum-margin victory.
The four goals Ødegaard has scored in five games already put him well ahead of last season’s total. Although the source of the comments does not include a detailed quotation from Rice, the Arsenal midfielder has been asked to assess his team-mate’s performances and the difference in his scoring record between the two campaigns.
Ødegaard’s goal against Napoli was particularly important because it decided the outcome of the Champions League fixture. Arsenal held on to win by a single goal, leaving Ødegaard as the player whose finish separated the two sides.
The contrast with the previous season is clear. Across 36 appearances, Ødegaard managed just one goal. In the current campaign, he has needed only five matches to score four times, including the effort that earned Arsenal victory over Napoli.
As captain of the Gunners, Ødegaard remains a central figure for the London side. His latest scoring run has added a new dimension to the start of the campaign and has placed his contribution under renewed attention, including from Rice.
The England midfielder’s assessment focuses on a team-mate whose numbers have changed sharply from one season to the next. Ødegaard’s four goals in five matches now stand against the one goal he recorded in 36 appearances last term.
For Arsenal, the immediate result is a Champions League win. For Ødegaard, the Napoli match continued a productive opening to the campaign, while Rice’s comments underline the significance of the captain’s displays within the squad.