Alan Shearer issues response to intriguing 'alternative' Martin Odegaard and Arsenal set-piece theory

Pundit Alan Shearer is sceptical over a claim made about Martin Odegaard and Arsenal's set-pieces. The Gunners made easy work of Crystal Palace over the weekend to quieten talk of them struggling in front of goal and to keep themselves in the thick of the Premier League title race.

Set-pieces were key to Arsenal's win, with the first two goals coming from corners, and it has led to some studying to footage closely. Former Wales captain Ashley Williams believes Arsenal star Odegaard may be using triggers from the edge of the box to signal the type of set-piece move to use by touching his socks.

Williams said: "If you keep an eye on Odegaard we feel, maybe we have had too much time on our hands, we feel maybe he is signalling to the corner taker something. He is in the same place at every corner playing with his socks. When we are looking for triggers, it is something that is worked on, they are in synchronicity, they are either going to the front or the back. In every clip we see he is doing the same thing, playing with his socks."

But Match of the Day pundit Shearer is not so sure, saying on the Rest is Football podcast: "I had two hours off and we basically watched the game again and one of the guys said, have you seen Odegaard on the edge of the 18-yard box? When they get a corner whichever side, he’s touching his right leg or pulling the socks up and he thought ‘maybe that’s a trigger for where the ball is going to go.’

"I said: ‘Maybe his f******* elastic has been snapped in his sock.’ It was part of Ashley’s analysis… They put that forward as an alternative but Ashley didn’t say it was a trigger, maybe nothing, maybe we’re jumping to conclusions, maybe we’ve had too many hours off in the afternoon."