Odegaard relishes Arsenal reunion as Norway eye England upset at World Cup

Norway captain Martin Odegaard is keeping the banter with his Arsenal teammates to a minimum as his side prepare to face England in a World Cup quarter-final showdown that will ​pit club friends against each other on football's biggest stage.

Odegaard, who also captains Arsenal, ‌will face his fellow Premier League-winning teammates Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze when Norway play England at the Miami Stadium on Saturday.

The midfielder said he had spoken to a few of them during the ​tournament but was focusing on the task ahead rather than having a friendly chat.

"Not ​too much (banter). I've spoken to a few of them a little bit during ⁠the tournament," a smiling Odegaard told reporters on Wednesday.

"Obviously we know the quality they have. I ​know them really well. Outstanding players, world-class players, playing for probably one of the best national teams ​in the world at the moment, so it's going to be a big test for us."

Odegaard reserved special praise for Rice, who anchors England's midfield, which could prove to be a key battleground in the quarter-final clash.

"He's someone who ​always gives absolutely everything for the team, always fighting for every single ball, bringing his energy ​to the pitch, to the team, driving the team forward.

"He can do so many things on the pitch. He ‌can ⁠defend, he can attack, he can be physical, he can be good on the ball. He's a very complete player, so it's going to be a good test for all of us.

"And it's not just about Declan, but the whole team has unbelievable players. It's a massive test and we're ​looking forward to it. ​Hopefully we can make ⁠even more history."

Odegaard said Norway were drawing confidence from their upset victory over five-times champions Brazil to qualify for the quarter-finals for the first time ​ever, and the side could spring another surprise despite being cast as underdogs ​once again.

"I think ⁠Brazil (in the last 16) was the same, we were the underdogs and, as you saw, anything can happen in football," he said. "We're going to give it a good try, see what we can do and (are) ⁠looking ​forward to it.

"We have to have the belief in ourselves. ​We've shown the whole world that we're a good team. In football, anything is possible. Even though we're the underdogs again, ​let's see what happens and let's prepare well."