Despite not featuring against Chelsea, Eberechi Eze would’ve enjoyed what he saw during Arsenal’s win.
It was yet another instance of being an unused substitute for Eze, marking the sixth time this season that it’s happened.
Eze was poor against Portsmouth, so it was unsurprising that he didn’t get any minutes against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.
That being said, things could be about to look up for the playmaker, but only if Mikel Arteta shows that he has the guts to make a very bold call.
Will Eberechi Eze be a starter at Arsenal by the end of the 2025/26 season?
Eberechi Eze should be waiting for Martin Odegaard to be dropped after Chelsea mistake
Everyone knows Eze’s creative qualities, but Arteta has been reluctant to use him, with fans suspecting that the doubts came from the 2-1 loss to Aston Villa.
In that game, the 27-year-old had a lapse in concentration, failing to appropriately track back, which allowed Matty Cash to get in behind and score.
Since then, Eze has played 69 minutes of a possible 540 in the Premier League, which is why fans have concluded that his defensive error triggered a slip down the pecking order.
Agree or disagree, Mikel Arteta will show a weakness if he doesn’t drop Martin Odegaard for Eberechi Eze
The Chelsea win makes this very interesting, and you might be asking why, given that Eze didn’t play.
Martin Odegaard has replaced Eze in the starting XI since his mishap at Villa, which, by Arteta’s standards, should flip, as the Norwegian made a costly error against Chelsea.
In the 56th minute, when Arsenal were 2-0 up, Odegaard tried a first-time pass when the ball was in the air, and it didn’t come off, allowing Enzo Fernandez to pounce on the loose ball.
Footballers make mistakes; it wasn’t the touch that was the problem, but more what came after, as Odegaard failed to show any real intent to win the ball back from Fernandez.
So, where does that leave Eze?
Arteta dropped Eze after a comparable lack of attentiveness when tracking back, so if the Arsenal manager wants to implement balance, he’d rotate his playmakers to double down on how healthy competition should look.
Odegaard was so underwhelming against Chelsea
There’s an unspoken issue of consistency with Odegaard, which is what has played out in recent weeks.
After recording goal contributions in three consecutive games against Brighton, Aston Villa and Bournemouth, the Norwegian dropped off again.
Describe Martin Odegaard’s performance against Chelsea in THREE words
Putting the 27-year-old’s mistake at Stamford Bridge aside, Odegaard was so underwhelming, offering next to nothing in midfield.
After spending £67.5m for Eze, fans just want to see the playmaker get a chance to show what he can do, which he surely must after another series of lacklustre Odegaard displays.
All eyes will be on how Arteta reacts to his captain’s dip in form, with Eze watching most closely.
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