Former England international Joe Cole has lavished praise on Martin Ødegaard after the Arsenal captain delivered yet another match-winning goal in a commanding 1-0 Champions League victory against Napoli.

The Norwegian playmaker produced a moment of magic from the edge of the penalty box to break the deadlock and secure three vital away points for Mikel Arteta’s side in Naples.

Joe Cole full of praise for Martin Odegaard

(Photo by Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images)

Speaking on TNT Sports (via BBC Sport) after the final whistle, Joe Cole was full of admiration for the Gunners skipper, pointing out how seamlessly he controls the tempo of high-stakes European encounters:

Cole noted that Odegaard has taken total responsibility at the start of the campaign, dictating Arsenal’s play in the final third with world-class maturity.

“Everything runs through Martin Odegaard. He can stand still and find space. He is at the peak of his powers and it is beautiful to watch. You can’t help but love watching him play his football.”

Mikel Arteta also praises his captain

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta echoed Cole’s sentiments during his post-match press conference, expressing delight with his leader’s impact while noting that his side should have made lighter work of the Italian hosts given their overall dominance.

“Martin is contributing with goals that are impacting results which is what we want from our attacking players, being decisive and certainly he was again today,” Arteta told TNT Sports (via BBC Sport).

“We should have done it in a different way because of the amount of chances we created.”

Odegaard has had a flying start to the new season

Odegaard’s stunning goal against Napoli took his tally to four goals in his first five appearances across all competitions.

The strike also came just four days after the Arsenal captain scored the winner against Chelsea, underlining his incredible start to the campaign.

Odegaard has now produced decisive moments against Manchester City, Coventry City, Chelsea and Napoli, with his goals increasingly having a direct impact on Arsenal’s results.

With Arteta’s side aiming to defend their Premier League title while finally going one step further in the Champions League, Arsenal will be hoping their captain can maintain this remarkable level of form.