Ahead of his return to action, Martin Odegaard will be sweating over earning his spot back in the team at Arsenal following Eberechi Eze’s latest display.
Eze netted a hat-trick against Tottenham to help fire the Gunners to a 4-1 win and to move them six points clear at the top of the Premier League.
During the North London derby win, not only did Eze stake his claim to start for England at the World Cup, but also ahead of the Gunners’ captain.
For the first time since moving to the Emirates Stadium, the 26-year-old is now facing a problem he’s never previously had to contend with.
Rio Ferdinand’s warning to Martin Odegaard at Arsenal
Rio Ferdinand believes that Eberechi Eze has now sent a warning to Martin Odegaard that his spot at Arsenal is no longer guaranteed.
The former Manchester United defender believes that Mikel Arteta will no longer be thinking about rushing his captain straight back into the team.
Currently, Odegaard is slowly recovering from injury, and the midfielder is hopeful of being available rather soon.
Who starts in the number 10 role for Arsenal when both fit?
However, the ex-Real Madrid star will return to the team and will no longer be a guaranteed starter for the Gunners.
Following the North London derby, Ferdinand told his podcast: “Odegaard has been someone; if he’s fit, he’s going to play.
“Right now, Eze has just said to Mikel Arteta, ‘You need to rethink that, and I’ve got to be the first name right now. I’ve got the shirt. Odegaard’s got to come and get it back off me even though he’s the captain’.”
Meanwhile, Gary Neville is in agreement as he believes that Eze is better suited than Odegaard to playing in the number ten role at Arsenal.
Martin Odegaard’s new Arsenal concern
This will be a real worry for Odegaard, who, for the first time in his Arsenal career, will now be fighting to earn his spot on the team.
In the past, the Arsenal captain has been one of the first names on the team sheet, but following Eze’s latest display, that is no longer the case.
Eberechi Eze’s North London Derby hat-trick
This is excellent news for Arsenal and Arteta, though, as it means the Norwegian international will need to lift his game to a new level to play.
Having such competition for a place at Arsenal will only be a good thing, meaning each player will need to bring their A-game for every fixture.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
