Martin Odegaard will be full of confidence when Arsenal face Manchester United on Sunday, says Theo Walcott, after scoring two goals in the 7-1 demolition of PSV on Tuesday night.
The Gunners were in rampant form in Eindhoven as they demolished their hosts in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie.
A second leg is still to play at the Emirates next week but the tie is over and Arsenal will now be focussing on a trip to Old Trafford on Sunday.
At PSV there were goals from Jurrien Timber, Ethan Nwaneri, Mikel Merino, Leandro Trossard, Riccardo Calafiori and two from Odegaard on a wild night for Arsenal.
Odegaard was in spectacular form, also providing a brilliant assist for Calafiori’s late seventh.
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Former Arsenal forward Walcott feels the Norwegian, who had been struggling for goals and assists, could now burst back to his best, warning Wayne Rooney that Manchester United could be in trouble.
‘I think it’s really important for Martin Odegaard to get those brace of goals, for him personally, because that’s been one thing he’s been lacking,’ Walcott said on Amazon Prime Sport.
‘That’ll breed a lot of confidence going to your team at the weekend Wazza [Rooney], good timing.
‘Arsenal were absolutely incredible tonight, they really were and they made PSV look very average and they’ve been very decent in the Champions League.’
Rooney, somewhat tongue in cheek, said of his former club: ‘They’ll be ok Sunday.’
He added: ‘Mikel Arteta now has the opportunity to go for it on Sunday because he can now rest players in midweek. He won’t say it but this tie is over. So Arsenal can go full throttle on Sunday.’
Odegaard has been short of goals this season, scoring just twice in 19 Premier League appearances, while he had scored once before Tuesday in the Champions League.
The Gunners captain said: ‘Every player in my position want to influence the game with goals and assists and it’s something I haven’t been good enough at this season but two goals and one assist tonight is a good step.’
Coming off a defeat to West Ham and a goalless draw with Nottingham Forest, it was a massive turnaround for Arsenal, although Odegaard said the squad has not been concentrating on anything in particular.
‘Not too much. We work hard every day and especially after performances like West Ham and Forest. We’ve been working on a lot of finishing but the same as always. We always work hard. Tonight it all clicked,’ he said.
‘We’ve had a bit extra focus on it [finishing] after last few games. We know we have quality. You see today at this level it’s fun we created so much so it was good to get everything out.’
As long as there is no miracle in the second leg then Arsenal will play either Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals, with Odegaard eyeing a meeting with his former side Real.
‘Would be special to go back there,’ he said. ‘Whoever we get we will be ready. We have to finish our job at home first and then see who we get.’