LISBON, Portugal — Arsenal has experienced a resurgence in scoring, which coincides with the return of Martin Odegaard from injury.
Since the international break, the team has netted an impressive eight goals across two matches, highlighted by a commanding 5-1 victory against Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League on Tuesday. This result matches Arsenal’s record for the largest away win in the tournament’s history.

Odegaard’s return is pivotal, as he spent the previous two months sidelined due to an ankle injury. His absence proved costly for Arsenal, who faced setbacks including a 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth and a 1-0 loss at Newcastle, which significantly hindered their standing in the Premier League. Additionally, the Gunners recorded a frustrating 0-0 draw with Atalanta in the Champions League and suffered a narrow 1-0 loss to Inter Milan last month, a match in which Odegaard came back as a late substitute.

Since Odegaard’s return, Arsenal’s performance has dramatically improved, leading to victories without any losses. Following a 3-0 triumph over Nottingham Forest, they delivered another strong performance in Lisbon, where Odegaard played a crucial role, helping to end Sporting’s unbeaten streak this season.

Describing Odegaard’s impact, Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka stated, “He’s an unbelievable player. The day he came back, it put a big smile on my face. You can see the chemistry we have, and I really hope he remains injury-free for the rest of the season.”

Odegaard was instrumental in the creation of Arsenal’s first two goals against Sporting, scored by Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz. He also was fouled in the process of winning a penalty, which Saka successfully converted in the 65th minute to reclaim a three-goal advantage at 4-1.

Towards the end of the match, there was concern when Odegaard was seen flexing his leg, but he managed to play through discomfort and was substituted in the 78th minute.

Head coach Mikel Arteta is undoubtedly keen to avoid any further injuries to Odegaard as Arsenal pushes to close the gap on league leaders Liverpool, who currently hold a nine-point advantage over Arsenal, who sits in fourth place after 12 matches.