Wayne Rooney has picked Eberechi Eze as Arsenal’s best number ten ahead of Martin Odegaard following his brace against Spurs.
Eze finally returned to the scoresheet for Arsenal with two huge goals in the North London derby as the Gunners once again ran riot in N17.
TRUE or FALSE: Eberechi Eze has just taken Martin Odegaard’s spot at Arsenal… 👀
The 27-year-old has now scored five goals in two matches against the club that nearly signed him in the summer.
Eze has made a very slow start to life at the Emirates Stadium; however, another two goals against Tottenham could potentially kick him into gear.
Wayne Rooney says Eberechi Eze should start over Martin Odegaard
Wayne Rooney is now backing Eberechi Eze to start over Martin Odegaard for Arsenal following his North London derby display.
The former Manchester United striker believes that, around the penalty area, Eze is better, although in a deeper role, Odegaard edges it.
“I think just around the penalty box, Eze is a better player, and then a little bit deeper, Odegaard is a better player than Eze,” Rooney told BBC Sport.
“I think Odegaard is a very clever player, and he picks up some great positions. His movement is very good. You just want to see a little bit more from him in the final third.”
Who was your Arsenal Man of the Match vs Tottenham Hotspur?
But ultimately, Rooney claims that he would start the former Crystal Palace star over Arsenal’s captain moving forward.
“So if you can combine the two of them into one, then you have a great player. I think they are different players for that role. But yeah, for me, I would play Eze over Odegaard,” he stated.
Eze’s performance has certainly given Mikel Arteta some thinking to do, but surely he will keep his place following his brace.
Arteta thinks he’s realised how to unlock Eze, believing the midfielder was determined to prove him wrong for benching him against Wolves.
Wayne Rooney on Arsenal loaning Ethan Nwaneri
Given that Eze and Odegaard had been struggling over recent weeks, there had been some discussion about whether Arsenal should have kept Ethan Nwaneri.
However, Rooney has dismissed those claims and thinks his loan spell at Marseille will be a good experience for Nwaneri.
Asked about whether Arsenal should have kept Ethan Nwaneri, Rooney added: “He’s still a young lad, and I think he’ll learn from that experience.”
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