Eberechi Eze vs Martin Odegaard: Who has the edge in Arsenal selection headache | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta has new ‘healthy competition’ following Eze hat-trick against Tottenham and Odegaard return to fitness

Eberechi Eze has given Mikel Arteta a selection headache after his historic hat-trick in Sunday’s north London derby.

Eze scored a hat-trick against Tottenham on Sunday

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Here, Standard Sport breaks down what Eze and Odegaard can offer Arsenal…

Control vs chaos

Eze and Odegaard both like to operate in central, attacking areas - but stylistically there is a big difference in how they play.

Odegaard is often at the heart of everything Arsenal do and he is not afraid to drop deep to get on the ball.

In the Premier League this season, he is completing on average 48 passes per 90 minutes, which is 21 more than Eze.

Similarly, in the final third, Odegaard is completing 23 passes per 90 minutes - and that is more than anyone else in the Arsenal squad.

Put simply, Odegaard is a conductor and the Norwegian dictates how Arsenal play, whereas Eze is someone who drifts in and out of games.

Eze may not boss the midfield, but Arteta has praised his ability to create “magic moments” that can break the deadlock in tight games.

Creativity

Both players offer creative threat on the ball and it is why the prospect of them playing together as two No8s is not out of the question.

Arteta tried it last month against West Ham - in a game where Arsenal dominated possession - but Odegaard was forced off injured and the experiment ended after 30 minutes.

Odegaard is closing in on a return after almost two months out

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Odegaard leads the way in the Arsenal squad for expected assists per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season, with a total of 0.36.

Eze comes in at around half of that total and Odegaard is also ahead of him when it comes to chances created per 90 minutes.

Odegaard’s numbers could be slightly skewed by the fact he has only played just over 200 minutes in the league this season due to injury.

Last season, however, he also finished ahead of Eze for chances created and expected assists per 90 minutes.

Defensive work

One area of the game that Arteta does not negotiate on is the defensive side of it.

Every player in the team must work off the ball and he believes that is a key reason for Arsenal’s remarkable defensive record this season.

Odegaard is crucial to that and he leads the Arsenal press. Out of possession, the Gunners set up in a 4-4-2 formation and Odegaard pushes up from midfield alongside whoever is playing as the No9.

Thierry Henry has said there is now ‘healthy competition’ between Odegaard and Eze

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Eze has been tasked with the same job when playing instead of Odegaard during the Norwegian’s injury absence.

Per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season, the pair are winning a similar number of ground duels, with Eze at 4.18 and Odegaard registering 3.97.

Odegaard is just ahead on interceptions, possessions won and tackles per 90 minutes, but Eze has shown he is willing to do the dirty work, too.

Goal threat

Eze demonstrated against Tottenham how dangerous he can be in front of goal and this is an area of the game that he excels.

The 27-year-old has had more shots than any other Arsenal player in the Premier League this season.

“It can be right, left, ball on the ground, bouncing ball at this height, and he takes it (the chance to shoot),” said Arteta on Sunday.

Eze is Arsenal’s joint top scorer in the league, alongside Viktor Gyokeres, and that is despite his expected goals being 2.50. No Arsenal player is outperforming their expected goals more than Eze this season.

He is having 3.50 shots per 90 minutes in the league, and that is nearly double Odegaard on 1.76.

Odegaard has had fewer minutes due to injury, but last season he had a similar output of 1.89 shots per 90 minutes in the league.

Leadership

This is a quality that you cannot run the numbers on and look at the data.

It is hard to quantify just how much influence both players have when on the pitch, but they, clearly, have a presence about them.

Odegaard has been Arsenal’s captain since the summer of 2022 and is a hugely popular figure in the dressing room.

The squad held a vote on the captaincy before this season and Odegaard was the clear winner.

He leads Arsenal on the pitch but off it he is a pivotal figure, too, especially with young players.

It is hard for Eze to compete with that, but he has quickly settled at Arsenal. Players and staff find him down to earth and humble.

Eze knew several players in the Arsenal squad from England duty, but he has quickly formed bonds with others.

“Every morning, we sit in a sauna at the training ground and we can have a really good talk with him about everything,” said midfielder Mikel Merino. “He is just a nice guy and already very integrated within the team and we need those type of players.”