“He’s the Best I’ve Seen in the Premier League So Far” – Ipswich Boss Kieran McKenna Left in Awe by One Arsenal Star After Brutal Display
Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna had nothing but glowing admiration for one particular Arsenal player after their clash at the Emirates – and it wasn’t the usual suspects like Gabriel Martinelli or Leandro Trossard. Instead, the former Manchester United assistant lifted the lid on the one Gunners star who tormented his team from start to finish, describing his influence as something his squad simply couldn’t contain – even with a double-marking tactic in place.
“My player talked about him a lot in the dressing room – constantly, in fact,” McKenna admitted in the post-match interview. “To the point where I had to assign two players to stay on him. But somehow, he still found his way through every time. Honestly, he’s the best I’ve seen so far in this Premier League season.”
The man in question? Martin Ødegaard.
While much of the pre-match focus was on Arsenal’s firepower up front and the pace of wingers like Martinelli or the trickery of Trossard, it was the Norwegian playmaker who stole the spotlight, orchestrating play with his signature blend of elegance, precision, and tireless movement. From the first whistle, Ødegaard dictated the tempo of the match, probing Ipswich’s lines, dragging defenders out of position, and unlocking spaces that many players wouldn’t even see.
McKenna admitted that his team spent a chunk of their pre-match preparation trying to nullify Ødegaard’s influence. “We worked on pressing triggers, closing down his angles, and preventing him from finding space between the lines. But no matter what we tried, he always seemed one step ahead.”
It wasn’t just his passing that tormented Ipswich. Ødegaard’s intelligent positioning constantly created dilemmas for McKenna’s midfielders and defenders alike. If they followed him deep, it left gaps behind. If they sat off, he had all the time in the world to pick the perfect pass. On several occasions, his incisive through balls cut through Ipswich’s backline like a knife through butter.
“I’ve been in football long enough to know when I’m watching a special player,” McKenna added. “And today, Ødegaard was just that. I thought we had him under control at times – until he did something magical again. He makes everything look so easy, yet the decisions he makes are world-class.”
The praise from McKenna echoes what many Premier League fans and pundits have been saying in recent months – that Martin Ødegaard has quietly become one of the most intelligent and influential midfielders in the league. While the headlines often focus on the goalscorers or flashy wingers, Ødegaard’s consistent brilliance in the heart of midfield continues to be the engine that makes Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal tick.
With the win against Ipswich, Arsenal maintained their push in the title race, and Ødegaard’s performance only reaffirmed his importance to the squad. McKenna’s admission – particularly the part where he assigned two players just to try and contain him – serves as a testament to the level the Norwegian is operating at right now.
“When your players are talking about an opponent non-stop before and after the game, you know you’ve just faced someone special,” McKenna concluded. “Ødegaard is that player.”
And based on today’s display, there can be no doubt – Martin Ødegaard is not just Arsenal’s quiet conductor. He’s rapidly becoming one of the Premier League’s most feared and respected midfield maestros.