Ødegaard: Guimaraes is a fighter; we want to win the league again

Bruno Guimaraes has been highly praised by Arsenal captain Ødegaard after helping the Gunners win the Community Shield.

Ødegaard called Bruno Guimaraes a "fighter" and said Arsenal would be challenging for multiple trophies this season.

Arsenal beat Manchester City 3-0 in Cardiff, with captain Ødegaard scoring shortly after the start of the second half. Since Guimaraes' arrival, the two started together in midfield for the first time and seemed to have developed a strong understanding.

"It feels great, very natural," Ødegaard said when asked how the two had linked up. "It's been natural since the first day he arrived."

"Although we've had some fierce battles with him in the past, he's come into the team and it feels like a very natural part of the team, and you can see his quality."

"He can win the ball back, he's a fighter, but he's also very good with his feet. He's calm on the ball."

"He always finds the right moment and makes the pass, it's great. The same goes for Christos Tzolis, it's good to see new signings perform like this so quickly."

For the past two seasons, Ødegaard has been criticized for dropping too deep, often leaving his attacking midfield position to retreat into his own half to progress the ball.

The arrival of the former Newcastle United captain seems to have solved this problem. Ødegaard believes that a good understanding has developed between them.

"It's all natural," he emphasized again. "We've already got a connection, and you can see that."

"He's a top player. From the first second of training, you can feel his presence and quality. It's easy to play with him. He's an excellent player, and I'm looking forward to what's next."

Arsenal may have won the league title, but there are still many questions from outside, and the team's playing style often becomes a point of contention. Ødegaard missed many games last season due to four different injuries, which is undoubtedly one of the reasons, but the captain believes that the team's playing style will remain flexible and will adapt to different opponents.

"It depends on the game and the opponent," Ødegaard said when asked if Arsenal would play more directly this season. "We can play in many different ways."

"We can score goals in different ways. That's one of our strengths because we are more versatile in our playing style."

"We can adapt in many different ways, cause problems for other teams, and also defend. We are really looking forward to starting the new season now and having a good season."

However, Arsenal's focus remains on continuing to compete for trophies. They have already tasted the joy of lifting a trophy in recent months. The 3-0 Community Shield victory over Manchester City may not satisfy the club's harshest critics, but it is certainly not a victory to be taken lightly.

Ødegaard said the team wants to show their strength and is eager to win more medals this season.

"We want to prove ourselves," he said. "Of course, we won the league title last year. But this year we want more. There's still a lot to fight for. We want to win the league title again, and then there are other trophies. We still have a lot of work to do and a lot of room for improvement."

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