Martin Odegaard lauds Declan Rice for 'unbelievable performance' against Brighton

Arsenal were forced into late defensive changes after Jurrien Timber was ruled out with an ankle issue and Riccardo Calafiori withdrew during the warm-up, joining Ben White on the sidelines. With limited options, manager Mikel Arteta deployed Rice at right-back despite the England international being a regular in midfield.

Rice delivered a strong performance at both ends of the pitch, helping Arsenal maintain control for long periods and contributing to the second goal when his delivery led to Georginio Rutter's own goal early in the second half.

Odegaard, who opened the scoring after 14 minutes with his first goal of the season, said Rice's display reflected the squad's mentality amid an ongoing injury crisis.

"It was an unbelievable performance from him," Odegaard said. "To play right-back, probably the first time in his life, and then do it the way he did it was really impressive. Everyone is ready to do whatever it takes."

Arsenal doubled their lead shortly after the interval but were forced to defend late on after Diego Gomez scored for Brighton in the 64th minute. Goalkeeper David Raya made a key save in the closing stages to preserve the victory.

The win restored Arsenal's two-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League standings. They host third-placed Aston Villa on Tuesday, with Rice a potential option at right-back again if defensive injuries persist.

Arteta said after the match that his side is "in survival mode" due to the number of injuries but praised the players' response to the situation.

Odegaard said he was pleased to end his scoring run after a prolonged drought.

"I've been working hard on my finishing," he said. "I got into the right area and took the chance."

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