Odegaard: UCL nights at Emirates are something special

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has spoken about the team's character after coming from behind to beat Leeds, and expressed his passion for Champions League evenings at Emirates Stadium.

The Norwegian midfielder's comments appeared in his captain's column in the official Arsenal matchday programme ahead of the club's home Champions League fixture against Lille.

"We expected a tough match and that's what we got," Odegaard wrote. "After going behind, though, we showed a really good response to turn it around. We started to take control and play the game we wanted to play."

Odegaard highlighted the contribution of Bruno Fernandes in the victory. "We got the equaliser and then Bruno scored another great goal to win it for us. We know the quality he has in those positions, and it was a really nice move to build up to the goal."

The captain was measured in his assessment of the Leeds win. "It was a good win in the end, but we can do better. There are lots of areas to improve so let's take the lessons from the performance and keep developing."

Arsenal opened their Champions League league phase with a win away to Napoli, with Odegaard among the scorers. "Every away game in the Champions League is really tough but I thought we did really well on the night," he said. "We had to be patient and wait for the goal, and we missed lots of chances, but we deserved the three points."

Odegaard was candid about his personal connection to European nights at the club's home ground. "I personally love these Champions League nights at home. There's something special about hearing the anthem under the lights at Emirates Stadium, and then testing yourself against the very best teams in Europe."