LISBON, Portugal – Just as Arsenal were reeling, Martin Odegaard provided a game-winning moment of quality. Manager Mikel Arteta hopes the same can apply throughout the season after a series of difficult results in which the captain’s absence was keenly felt.

Managers bemoaning injuries is nothing new – and can often serve as a useful distraction from other problems – but Odegaard’s return from an ankle injury was accompanied by a dramatic upturn in her performances, highlighted by the impressive 5-1 win against Sporting Lisbon on Saturday Tuesday continued in the UEFA Champions League.

“He is an incredible player and the day he returned I had a big smile on my face,” said Odegaard’s Bukayo Saka. “You can see the chemistry between us and how much fun I have playing with him. That’s why I’m glad he’s back and hope he stays fit for the rest of the season.”

Sporting went into this game unbeaten in 19 games this season and beat Manchester City here at the Estadio Jose Alvalade just three weeks ago. Viktor Gyökeres’ hat-trick confirmed his status as one of Europe’s hottest players. Coach Ruben Amorim has since left for Manchester United and Gyokeres was a peripheral figure on Tuesday night, with Arsenal’s first 45 minutes considered the best half of football of the season.

It was a typical European away performance: skilful in attack, disciplined and tenacious in defence. The 3-0 lead at half-time, achieved through goals from Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Magalhães, was fully deserved, the first two, which resulted from a combination on the right, Sporting simply could not cope with.

Odegaard’s tendency to move to the right to link up with Saka is a familiar pattern of play, but one that so many teams struggle with: Nottingham Forest had to face this at their expense last weekend when the Emirates Stadium was clearly beaten. With Jurriën Timber showing promising signs of being a more than capable stand-in for regular right-back Ben White (he will be out until New Year due to knee surgery), Arsenal’s impact on this wing has been such that he has accounted for 65% of their attacks came via this channel in the first half.

Timber set up Martinelli for the opening goal, while Saka scored Havertz’s second in the 22nd minute. Gabriel’s third goal was a header from a corner, extending their impressive set-piece record, but after Gonçalo Inacio’s shot just off the post threatened the visitors’ defensive record two minutes into the second half, Sporting sensed an unlikely comeback. Arsenal started to show nervousness. Passes were misplaced, the pressure began to build, goalkeeper David Raya was booked for wasting time.

And then suddenly Odegaard burst forward, darted past Inacio and, somehow off balance but still determined, fought his way into the penalty area, where Ousmane Diomande could only foul him and concede a penalty. Saka slotted home the penalty before substitute Leandro Trossard added a fifth late on, but Odegaard was the chief architect. He has more touches of the ball (82) than any other Arsenal player apart from Timber (84) and didn’t even play the final 12 minutes as he focused on Saturday’s difficult game at West Ham.

There is skepticism about the overall quality of the Portuguese league, but Arsenal make the class difference here seem huge, which works to their advantage. First of all, Tuesday was the first time since October 2008 that Arsenal have scored five goals away from home in the Champions League. Having faced legitimate questions about their durability away from home in Europe ahead of this game, Arsenal had not scored an away goal in this competition since December, with one win in eight games – that was an emphatic response.

When asked if this was the best European away performance of his five-year reign, Arteta was clear.

“Absolutely, especially against the opponent we played at home,” he said after the game. “I don’t think they’ve lost here in 18 months. They were in top form, they were better than everyone they played against here. Playing at this level, with the fluidity we did today… I’m very happy.”

Arteta raised eyebrows when he described the 1-0 defeat at Inter Milan as the best they had played in a major European game in years, but that belief was fully confirmed here.

“It is true that the outcome is very different,” he said. “But I was very happy with the performance and identity that I saw against Inter. I knew that good things would happen in Europe this way. Today we managed to do that and repeat it and be more efficient.” The opposing half is very happy because the team showed so much courage and when I see them live I realize how good they are .

Arteta also believes that the return of several players from injury has increased competitiveness in training, which in turn increases performance levels. However, Odegaard’s return feels most transformative when he plays like this.

The Premier League found out last weekend and on Tuesday the Champions League received the same news.