Martin Ødegaard has reportedly admitted that Bruno Fernandes remains the best midfielder in the Premier League right now, with the Arsenal captain said to have been left hugely impressed by the Manchester United skipper’s extraordinary influence since the beginning of the new campaign.
The reported comments have immediately generated debate across English football, particularly because Ødegaard and Fernandes have frequently been compared with each other as two of the Premier League’s most influential attacking midfielders. Both players carry enormous responsibility for their respective clubs, both are captains, and both have established themselves as leaders capable of changing the outcome of major matches.
However, Fernandes’ latest performance has once again strengthened the argument that he belongs at the very top of the Premier League’s midfield hierarchy.
The Manchester United captain produced a sensational hat-trick as Michael Carrick’s side came from behind to defeat Ipswich Town 5-2 at Old Trafford. It was the perfect response from United after their disappointing 2-0 defeat against Hull City in their opening match of the Premier League season. Fernandes not only scored three goals but also provided an assist for Bryan Mbeumo, playing a decisive role in almost everything United produced in attack.
According to the reported Ødegaard comments, the Arsenal midfielder believes Fernandes’ influence goes far beyond his goals and assists. The Norwegian is said to have highlighted the Portuguese international’s leadership, creativity, mentality and willingness to take responsibility when Manchester United need someone to step forward.
That assessment would hardly come as a surprise to anyone who has watched Fernandes since his arrival at Old Trafford.
The Portuguese midfielder has consistently been at the centre of United’s attacking play, often carrying an enormous creative burden for the club. Even when the team has struggled, Fernandes has continued attempting difficult passes, creating opportunities and demanding the ball in dangerous positions.
That willingness to take responsibility has made him one of the most recognizable midfielders in English football.
His latest performance against Ipswich simply provided another reminder.
United fell behind when Leif Davis gave Ipswich the lead, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere inside Old Trafford. Having already suffered defeat against Hull, Carrick’s team could easily have allowed frustration to take control of the match.
Instead, Fernandes responded.
The captain scored the equaliser and helped United regain momentum before continuing to influence the game after half-time. He eventually completed his hat-trick, including a penalty, before setting up Mbeumo for United’s fifth goal.
Reuters described Fernandes as taking on a goalscoring role despite normally being known primarily for his playmaking, while also noting that his performance continued a strong run of form under Carrick.
For Ødegaard, that ability to influence a match in multiple ways could be what separates Fernandes from other midfielders.
The Arsenal captain himself is regarded as one of the finest technical midfielders in the Premier League. His ability to control possession, dictate tempo, create opportunities and coordinate Arsenal’s attacking movements has made him one of Mikel Arteta’s most important players.
That makes the reported compliment particularly significant.
If one of Fernandes’ biggest rivals in the Premier League midfield believes he is currently the best, the statement would carry considerable weight.
The comparison between Fernandes and Ødegaard has existed for several seasons. Both players operate predominantly in advanced midfield roles, although their styles are not identical. Ødegaard is renowned for his technical control, movement and ability to combine with teammates, while Fernandes is particularly renowned for his directness, risk-taking and extraordinary passing range.
Fernandes is also more willing to shoot from distance, attempt ambitious through balls and make high-risk decisions in the final third.
Those characteristics can occasionally lead to mistakes, but they can also produce moments of brilliance that completely change matches.
The Ipswich game was a perfect example.
Fernandes was not simply involved in the match. He dominated it.
Three goals from midfield is an extraordinary achievement at any level, particularly in a Premier League match where the opposition is capable of creating serious problems. His ability to repeatedly find dangerous positions demonstrated why Carrick has continued to place so much responsibility on his shoulders.
The timing of the performance was also important.
Manchester United needed a leader.
They had started the season under pressure following the defeat against Hull, and another poor result would have created significant questions around Carrick’s team. Instead, Fernandes stepped forward and produced one of the biggest individual performances of the weekend.
The result immediately changed the mood surrounding Old Trafford.
Supporters who had been frustrated after the Hull defeat were suddenly talking about Manchester United’s attacking potential and their chances of competing near the top of the Premier League.
Fernandes was at the centre of that optimism.
His importance to Carrick’s project cannot be overstated.
The Manchester United manager has inherited a squad containing several talented attacking players, but Fernandes remains the player most capable of connecting different parts of the team. He can drop deeper to receive possession, move into advanced areas, create chances for teammates and arrive in the penalty area himself.
That versatility gives Carrick tactical flexibility.
It also makes Fernandes extremely difficult for opponents to neutralise.
A team cannot simply focus on stopping him from creating chances because he can become a goalscorer. It cannot simply prevent him from shooting because he can become a provider. And it cannot ignore his movement because he can suddenly appear inside the penalty area.
That unpredictability is one of his greatest strengths.
The numbers have also supported his reputation.
Fernandes was named the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year for the 2025/26 season, underlining just how influential his previous campaign had been. He also played a major role in Manchester United’s third-place Premier League finish and was recognized for his exceptional creative output.
His performances have therefore not suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
The Ipswich hat-trick is part of a much larger story.
Fernandes has spent years establishing himself as the heartbeat of Manchester United. He has experienced managerial changes, difficult seasons, criticism and pressure, yet he has continued to produce.
That resilience is another quality Ødegaard is reportedly believed to admire.
As Arsenal captain, Ødegaard understands the pressure associated with leading one of England’s biggest clubs. He knows that being a midfielder at a major Premier League club is about more than technical ability.
The player must also accept responsibility.
He must demand the ball when teammates are struggling. He must encourage players after mistakes. He must maintain concentration during difficult periods. And when the team needs a decisive moment, he must have the courage to attempt something that could change the game.
Fernandes has repeatedly demonstrated those qualities.
There are few midfielders in the Premier League who are willing to take as many risks as Fernandes.
Sometimes those risks do not work.
But when they do, they can produce extraordinary results.
That mentality has become part of his identity.
The reported Ødegaard admission would therefore represent a major compliment from one captain to another.
It would also intensify the growing debate over who is currently the best attacking midfielder in England.
Manchester United supporters will naturally argue for Fernandes, particularly after his latest hat-trick. Arsenal supporters will point toward Ødegaard’s technical quality and influence on Arteta’s possession-based football. Others will mention players such as Declan Rice, Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne or other elite midfielders when discussing the best players in the division.
But Fernandes has a powerful argument.
He combines creativity with goalscoring.
He combines technical quality with leadership.
He combines experience with an extraordinary willingness to take responsibility.
And perhaps most importantly, he consistently produces when Manchester United need him.
The Ipswich match demonstrated this perfectly.
After United conceded first, Fernandes refused to allow the team to panic. He helped bring them level before taking complete control of the second half.
Carrick praised the team’s mentality after the match, emphasizing their resilience after falling behind and their ability to respond to setbacks. Fernandes embodied that mentality.
That is why his relationship with Carrick could become one of the defining stories of Manchester United’s season.
The manager has given Fernandes significant freedom, and the midfielder appears to be thriving under that responsibility.
If the partnership continues to develop, United could become increasingly dangerous as the season progresses.
The challenge will be consistency.
One hat-trick does not win a Premier League title.
One outstanding performance does not guarantee Champions League qualification.
But if Fernandes can reproduce this level of influence throughout the season, Manchester United will have one of the most decisive midfielders in the competition.
That could prove crucial.
United are expected to face an extremely competitive Premier League campaign, with Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and other clubs all targeting success.
The margins between the top teams are often incredibly small.
A midfielder capable of producing three goals in a match can be the difference between finishing third and challenging for the title.
That is precisely why Fernandes remains so valuable.
He can decide matches.
He can create something from nothing.
He can score when the team needs a goal.
And he can lead when pressure is at its highest.
For Ødegaard, that may be the ultimate definition of the best midfielder.
Not simply the player with the best passing statistics or the most elegant style, but the footballer who consistently changes the outcome of matches.
Fernandes has built his reputation around exactly that.
The Portuguese midfielder’s latest hat-trick has therefore reignited the conversation about his place among the Premier League’s elite.
And if the reported Ødegaard comments are accurate, the Arsenal captain has now delivered one of the strongest endorsements Fernandes could receive.
A rival captain acknowledging another club’s player as the best midfielder in the league is always significant.
Coming from Ødegaard, it would be even more meaningful because he knows exactly what it takes to operate at the highest level in the same position.
For Manchester United supporters, the message is simple.
They have one of the Premier League’s most influential midfielders, and he appears to be entering another exceptional period of his career.
Fernandes has already started the new campaign with goals, assists and leadership.
Now Carrick will be hoping his captain can maintain that level for the rest of the season.
If he does, Manchester United could have a serious weapon in their pursuit of success.
And while the debate over the Premier League’s best midfielder will undoubtedly continue, Fernandes’ latest performance has ensured that his name remains firmly at the centre of it.
For now, Bruno Fernandes has the numbers, the influence, the leadership and the latest hat-trick to strengthen his case.
And according to the reported words of Martin Ødegaard, he may also have the respect of one of his biggest rivals.