Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has laid out why the players love playing for manager Mikel Arteta.

The Norwegian international, 24, has forged an unbreakable bond with the boss he describes as: “Passionate, intense and a bit crazy."

With Arsenal currently sitting five points clear at the top of the Premier League, Odegaard says: “I challenge anyone to come away from a meeting with Mikel Arteta and not believe everything he tells you.

“When he speaks to you, you understand that whatever he says will happen, will happen.

“He's next level. He's passionate, he's intense and sometimes, yeah, he's a bit crazy.

“So if there is anyone who still doesn't believe in this Arsenal team, take it from me that there are no limits to what we can achieve. No-one can tell me otherwise."

Odegard also told the Players' Tribune about joining the Gunners: “Arsenal were not doing well at the time. They were way down in like 15th in the table.

“But he told me his plan, everything he was building towards and he knew exactly what he needed to change at the club.

“He told me all about these amazing young players in the squad - Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Emile Smith Rowe - and he explained how I was going to fit in and improve.

“I got this strong feeling that he was onto something really special. And even when we finished eighth at the end of my first season here, no-one at the club lost faith in what we were doing.

“It was all part of the plan and though we're in the title race now there is still a long way to go and no one is thinking about May yet."