Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard praised Gabriel Jesus and William Saliba for their performances in the 3-0 win at Bournemouth on Saturday evening.
The Brazilian continued his excellent early-season form with some deft footwork in the build-up to Odegaard’s opener, with the Dane also grabbing a second.
Speaking to the BBC after the match, Odegaard said: “We came out really strong from the start and dominated the game completely. We scored some good goals and controlled the game, so it felt good.
“The second half was maybe a little bit different. We gave them some momentum and a lot of set-pieces but William [Saliba] scored our third one so it was a solid game.
“[Jesus] gives us a lot. Not just goals and assists, but with the link-up play with how he drops down so we’re lucky to have him.”
Saliba’s wonderful third took Odegaard by surprise, as he admitted: “I’ve never seen him do that in training but it was a great strike. I’m really happy for him. He did really well in the last game too so I’m happy for him.
“We’re doing well but we have to keep going, working hard. We’re looking forward to the next game already. That’s what it’s all about.”
Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, a former Bournemouth player, said to Sky Sports: “Really enjoyable. When I left Bournemouth I never got to say goodbye to the fans because of Covid so it was a special feeling. The fans were singing my name.
“Not many teams will come here and have that much control. Great day. Three wins from three.
“We want to own the ball and the pitch and we did that from minute one to 45. We lost that a bit in the second half but the third goal, I don’t know where he’s pulled that from.
“It’s crazy how our mentality has changed from the end of last season. We’re more ruthless. We saw how close we came last season [just looking out on a Champions League place to Spurs]. It took a few weeks to get over. It hurt more because it was the others down the road.
“Zinchenko and Jesus know how to win.”
