Martin Ødegaard

Ødegaard finds the pocket of space between an opponent's midfield and defence better than almost anyone in the squad, receiving on the half turn already knowing where the next pass goes. He sets the tempo of Arsenal's attack through small decisions rather than obvious ones, slowing the game when it needs patience and speeding it up the moment a gap opens. His movement off the ball creates the room his teammates play into.

The tension with a player this reliant on timing is what happens against a team disciplined enough to close that pocket completely. Some opponents set out specifically to deny him that room, forcing him wider or deeper than he would choose. Watch where he receives the ball early in a game, because that tells you whether the opposition has done its homework.