Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard has praised captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after the Gabonese international scored a hat-trick in the 4-2 win against Leeds last night.

It was Odegaard’s first start for the Gunners and he witnessed his teammate’s best display of the season. After the match, he praised Aubameyang, not only for his ability, but also his leadership qualities:

“He’s amazing. He’s a top-quality striker and his hat-trick was well deserved. I’m very happy for him, the way he takes responsibility for the team shows that he’s a true leader.”

Aubameyang has had a difficult time of things this season and the 31-year-old admitted after the match that he has been going through a tough period, but his three goals yesterday will do him the world of good.

In terms of Odegaard, the Norwegian put in a decent performance against Leeds, with a few neat touches and passes, but he certainly didn’t stand out on his full debut. His best games are likely still to come, though, and manager Mikel Arteta will be looking to him to provide some creativity in the middle of the park going forward.