Why Martin Odegaard is the standout pick for Arsenal's Player of the Season award

Four worthy nominees are competing for the annual award, but Arsenal writer Tashan Deniran-Alleyne believes there is one player that stands above the rest

We have reached that time of the year when Arsenal's Player of the Season award is up for grabs.

In truth, it's been difficult to name just one standout Gunners player as despite ultimately missing out on the Premier League title, there could easily have been eight or nine candidates up for the prize but we've had to whittle it down to just four with the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, William Saliba and Benjamin White falling into the honorable mentions category.

Therefore, it's up to you to decide the winner from the list that contains Martin Odegaard, Aaron Ramsdale, Granit Xhaka and Bukayo Saka with the England international enjoying a breakout tournament at the World Cup in Qatar either side of another impressive season for Arsenal.

From the final shortlist, I'd be tempted to go with the captain. Martin Odegaard is my pick for the Arsenal Player of the Season award. It's been a big year for the attacking midfielder especially after being handed the armband on a permanent basis following the departures of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette.

His incredible pressing from the front and off-the-ball work can sometimes go unnoticed but there's no escaping the fact that he's added goals to his game. Being the most prolific midfielder in the Premier League this season is no mean feat especially with Kevin De Bruyne still in his peak.

Sure, there are areas of Odegaard's game that can still be improved. He was guilty of giving the ball away cheaply in big moments against Manchester City as well as Nottingham Forest which lead to the Gunners conceding whilst he can go quiet in games away from home when the side are under the cosh.

But across the campaign, the 24-year-old has been a consistent performer. He contributed heavily to the title challenge, set Arsenal on their way to securing a top-two finish with a 2-0 victory away at Newcastle United and has guided the north London outfit back into the Champions League after a long absence.

Of the other candidates, Ramsdale has shown a huge level of improvement even if his concentration can still be questioned, Xhaka enjoyed his best season in an Arsenal shirt and what can be said about Saka that hasn't been said already? But for me, it's Odegaard who gets his hands on the prize.

Who is your Arsenal player of the season? Have your say by voting below!

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