Odegaard: Arsenal operating on a ‘another level’

Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.

Arsenal are operating at “another level” so far this season, so says Martin Odegaard.

The Gunners beat Napoli 1-0 on Wednesday in their opening Champions League fixture.

That made it four straight wins for Mikel Arteta’s team to start off their campaign.

And Odegaard, who netted the winner against Napoli, feels Arsenal are now playing at a different level compared to years gone by.

“I think we feel different. I think we feel a lot stronger this year and I’ve said it many times,” Odegaard told CBS Sports.

“I said it also after the season when we finished second, you got to learn from it. You got to take the experiences.

“And of course it’s the same when you win and it’s a different experience. It gives you a different kind of confidence. And I can feel that now in the whole team – we play with a different confidence and I feel like we’re on another level this season.

“So yeah, I think it made us a lot stronger and I feel like the team is just growing and growing and we’re getting better and the hunger is there. So that’s great to see after winning that we want to do it again and we want more.”

Next up for Arsenal is a trip to Sunderland in the Premier League on Saturday.

The games are coming thick and fast for the Gunners, who then take on Ipswich Town in the EFL Cup before facing Brighton prior to the international break.

Arsenal talisman Declan Rice, who featured in 69 games for club and country last term, is ready for another hectic schedule.

“I think for the last [five] seasons, even since my West Ham days when it was in Europe, I’ve played 60-plus [games] every season,” he said.

“So I think it is sustainable because I’ve shown that I can do it. It’s just about maintaining it, maintaining the level and the consistency of the performances.

“For me, that’s the main thing, showing up every week, giving a good account of myself and helping the team win. I’ve been lucky enough to be able to do that. So I’m really hungry to be able to do that again this season.”

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 10, 2026

Sunderland enjoyed a remarkable season in 2025-26, qualifying for the Europa League fresh from their promotion from the second tier. 

Xhaka, the former Arsenal midfielder, was pivotal to Sunderland’s form, and he leads all the Black Cats’ players in the Premier League this term for touches (243), chances created (seven), passes played into the box (26), fouls won (eight) and successful passes (163).

Only Morgan Rogers (nine) has created more chances in open play than Tzolis (eight) in the Premier League this season, with the Greek winger claiming his first assist of the season last time out against Chelsea.

Tzolis followed that up by assisting Odegaard’s winner against Napoli.

Sunderland have won just one of their last 29 Premier League meetings with Arsenal (D10 L18), and are winless in 17 (D6 L11) since a 1-0 victory in November 2009.

In fact, Arsenal have only lost one of their last 14 league visits to Sunderland (W8 D5), winning five of their last seven (D2), although the corresponding fixture last season finished 2-2.

This is just the second Premier League campaign Arsenal have faced Sunderland as reigning champions, previously beating them 3-1 at home and 4-0 away in 2002-03.

All four of the Black Cats’ home wins against reigning Premier League champions have been against different teams (Manchester United 1996-97, Manchester City 2012-13, Chelsea 2015-16, Leicester City 2016-17).

Sunderland have won their last two Premier League home games, both against London sides (Chelsea and Fulham). They last won three in a row at the Stadium of Light in January/February 2012.

The Gunners are looking to win each of their first four games in a top-flight season for the sixth time in their history. They went on to win the league the first three times they did so (1930-31, 1947-48, 2003-04) and have finished second the last two times (2004-05, 2022-23).

Arsenal have the lowest xG against of any side in the Premier League this season (0.93), while only Sunderland (five) have faced fewer shots on target than the Gunners (six).

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