OPINION: Haaland vs Odegaard in race for Player of the Season

Arsenal are top of the table but only three points ahead of Manchester City - although they do have a game in hand on Pep Guardiola's team.

The two sides are also yet to meet at all in the league, with their first match coming on Wednesday, February 15th.

City have come out on top against Arsenal once already this season win a 1-0 win in the FA Cup but neither side played to their best - or their full-strength teams.

On Wednesday, both Haaland and Odegaard will take to the field to showcase their skill and a strong performance from either player could be decisive in the title race.

At this point in time it seems like the two Norwegians are in a head-to-head race for the Player of the Season award and their performances in Wednesday's game could also have an impact in their hunt for that accolade (although a special mention to Marcus Rashford who has also been exceptional).

Haaland's brilliance

There has been plenty of debate over Haaland's role in the City side and whether or not he has made them a worse team - although 25 Premier League goals by February should put some of those claims to bed.

Granted, they have had to change their style, but the striker has scored goals at a rate never seen before in arguably the hardest league on the planet.

People are quick to blame Haaland but often forget to mention the sub-par performances of most the City midfield and defence, which has contributed to a lot of their relative struggles this season.

If the forward were to continue scoring at his current rate he would likely break the record for the most goals in a single 38-game season (Mohamed Salah with 32).

Both Alan Shearer and Andy Cole scored 34 in one campaign, but that was when clubs played 42 matches. Even still, that leaves Haaland needing 10 goals from his remaining 16 matches.

Scoring at such a rate has never been seen before in the Premier League and such a feat would surely see him take the Player of the Season award, regardless of City winning the title or not.

Of course this is all hypothetical - an injury at any time could completely derail his season - but right now there isn't anyone who really comes close to the Norwegian (barring his counterpart Odegaard)

Odegaard's magic

On the other side of the coin is Odegaard, whose performances stretch beyond the goal statistics and further into his impact both on and off the field.

The midfielder has captained Arsenal throughout the campaign and guided them to the top of the league, all while being arguably their best player - ahead of the likes of Bukayo Saka.

Odegaard has scored eight (more than any other player for the Gunners) and assisted five, while also creating 10 big chances, providing 15 successful through balls and completing 47 crosses - highlighting how influential he has been to their attack.

Naturally, being arguably the best player for the best team in the division should see him win the Player of the Season award - and only a potential feat like Haaland's could change that.

Some context is also needed to highlight just how big his performances have been. Before the current campaign started, no-one could have easily predicted the Gunners to challenge for the title - let alone do it in such an impressive fashion.

It should be remembered that Mikel Arteta's side finished eighth two years in a row and then fifth last season before their current success, and had a job on their hands to even make the top four this time around.

Odegaard's impact on the team has been impressive to say the least and puts him alongside Haaland in the race for Player of the Season.

The verdict

The rest of the season will dictate who wins the award and a lot of it will depend on Haaland's goal scoring rate and the overall record.

If he were to break it, it's hard to see anyone else picking up the award regardless of who wins the league - of course, the Player of the Season doesn't always go to someone who wins the league.

Salah won it in 2017/18 (the same year he broke the scoring record), despite City claiming the title.

On the other side, captaining Arsenal to an unexpected first title in nearly 20 years would be an incredible feat for Odegaard and it would seem hugely unfair for him to not take the award if he kept up his current performances.

As it stands, Haaland would probably just edge out his counterpart, but one thing for certain is that Wednesday's game could be pivotal for both the players and their respective clubs.