Manchester United legend Gary Neville has compared Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard to Manchester City icons Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva following the Gunners' 1-0 victory away to Everton on Sunday. Mikel Arteta's side had struggled at Goodison Park in recent times, failing to win on Merseyside since the Spaniard was appointed head coach a little under four years ago.
But they finally ended their hoodoo on Sunday afternoon thanks to a second-half strike from substitute Leandro Trossard. After the full-time whistle, Sky Sports pundit Neville singled out Odegaard for praise, claiming that the Norway international would be the one Arsenal player that City boss Pep Guardiola would love to sign if given the opportunity.
Speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast, the former England international said: «It takes a lot to say this but when you think of the most beautiful football players that we’ve watched in the last seven or eight years in the Premier League I always think of David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne being just something you watch and you’re like that’s 'the way to play football'. Odegaard, I’m not saying he’s as good as David Silva or Kevin De Bruyne yet, I think he’s got a bit to go in his career, but he’s getting to a point whereby now when I watch him play, it is so smooth, it’s so silky.
»I knew he was always a talented player but we’re now talking about something that is very different than just talented, this is real class. I know that to be fair a lot of people know that but I think he now starts to be mentioned in the sort of realms.
«Pep Guardiola, I think if you said: 'Take one player out of this Arsenal team'. I think he's take him in an absolute heartbeat.
»He would absolutely break into that Manchester City team
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