Martin Odegaard has spoken about the 'big fights' he had with new Arsenal team-mate Bruno Guimaraes before they played together for the first time. The Gunners' £75million summer signing from Newcastle United featured alongside the Arsenal skipper in a competitive match, with the pair impressing in a 3-0 win over Manchester City.
First 45 minutes together
Guimaraes was substituted at the end of the first half, but their first 45 minutes together were positive. He departed the Principality Stadium with the Gunners leading through goals from Riccardo Calafiori, Kai Havertz and Odegaard.
Not long ago, Odegaard was battling against Guimaraes in the Premier League and the recent World Cup, which saw Norway overcome Brazil 2-1 in the round of 16. Now they are team-mates, and Odegaard made a playful remark about their previous rivalries as he praised the new signing's impact.
Odegaard's praise for Guimaraes
In his post-match interview, Odegaard said: "I think he has been unbelievable since the first moment. He has come in here and feels like such a natural part of the team although we had some big fights in the past."
"He has been such a natural part of the team and you see his quality on the pitch, he is so good on the ball but he is also a fighter and he wins the ball."
"Christos (Tzolis) as well on the left, he had two assists today and a strong performance. I think everyone was good today so it was good to see."
Goals and assists in Cardiff
Odegaard was among three different goal scorers in Cardiff. Myles Lewis-Skelly provided the perfect assist for Calafiori to score the opener after barely 60 seconds. Havertz then headed home an excellent knockback from Tzolis, who also enjoyed an excellent debut.
The £34m man then showcased his class with an exquisite pass for Odegaard, who subsequently sent Gianluigi Donnarumma to ground before slotting into an unguarded net. City created opportunities, but were unable to beat David Raya, who produced two exceptional saves to deny Enzo Maresca's side.
It represented a commanding performance from the Gunners, who will enter their opening Premier League fixture against Coventry City brimming with confidence. Odegaard said: "I think we showed our level today, I think we showed that we are ready."
"I think we showed we are serious and want to do it again. There are more trophies to go and that is the aim. We are well prepared and we are looking forward to the next one now. When you get a taste of how nice it is, you want to do it again."
"There are also a few other ones we want to take, so we are ready. At this club you want to win all of them but that (Champions League) is the big one."
