Arsenal have been without Martin Odegaard in recent weeks, but Ebelesi Eze has excelled in his absence, leaving the Norwegian with a difficult task if he wants to regain his place.
Former Arsenal ace Theo Walcott believes Martin Odegaard would have anxiously watched Eberechi Eze score a hat-trick in the north London derby, but his exploits would have been a much-needed “kick on the backside” for the captain.
Odegaard has been out of action since October due to injury and just missed Sunday’s win. The playmaker is nearing full fitness and will be fighting for a spot sooner rather than later, but we have seen other players develop in his absence.
In Odegaard’s absence, Mikel Arteta has relied on Eze to be a creative force in his attack, with his summer signing paying off. The Norwegian was watching as Arsenal defeated their rivals and extended their lead at the top of the Premier League.
Emirates have made the leap, but Walcott insisted he would have watched on knowing his spot was no longer guaranteed due to the great replacements available to Arteta, despite Odegaard being a regular for years.
He said this on Overlap US’s It’s Cold Soccer. “The real joy is when the bench is celebrating as well. Everyone is on the same page, but deep down I think Martin Odegaard is thinking: ‘Oh, this is so hard!’
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Odegaard struggled at Arsenal at Real Madrid, where he joined as a teenager, but he finally realized his potential. Eze is now providing the competition he needs after his worst performance in the Premier League last season, scoring just three goals.
Walcott claimed: “Sometimes when you get injured or lose games you become a better player. But at the moment he is becoming a worse player. And you can’t forget how good Odegaard is. It’s a crazy truth, but we’re going to see a side of Odegaard that we haven’t seen before.”
“I think he needed this kick to the backside, to be brutally honest. It would be great for him because that happened to Trossard and all of a sudden Trossard is a different person now, so I think it will be good for him. Everyone is being pushed at Arsenal now and we are in a good place, a better place, an incredible place.”
Arsenal have gradually strengthened their squad over the past few years, but a recent wave of reinforcements has added some notable quality. Eze, Noni Madues and Victor Gyokeres arrived to strengthen a front line that already included Saka, Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus.
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