Arsenal: Why Mikel Arteta 'does not fancy' Eberechi Eze as Martin Odegaard difference is revealed

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·13 de fevereiro de 2026

Arsenal: Why Mikel Arteta 'does not fancy' Eberechi Eze as Martin Odegaard difference is revealed

Eze failed to impress on a rare Premier League start

Peter Crouch has said the biggest difference between Arsenal midfielders Eberechi Eze and Martin Odegaard is “pressing”.

Eze was handed a rare start in the Premier League on Thursday night but was withdrawn at half-time as Arsenal were pegged back by Brentford to draw 1-1 at the Gtech Community Stadium.

During his 45 minutes on the pitch, the attacking midfielder failed to make much of an impact and completed only nine passes, the second fewest of any Gunners player.

Vídeos OneFootball

Odegaard, back from a two-game absence because of a muscle issue, was introduced at the beginning of the second half and there was a noticeable improvement from the Gunners.

Comparing the performances of the two players who operated in the No10 role against Brentford, Crouch picked out what he feels gives Odegaard the edge over Eze.

"I believe he hadn't started in the last nine or something like that, so he got a start today and you think 'right go and impress',” Crouch said on TNT Sports.

"Unfortunately he just felt off the boil, he couldn't get on the ball in the first-half. It was difficult for Arsenal in general.

"I felt for him. And he doesn't give you what Odegaard gives you in pressing and he doesn't affect it when he hasn't got the ball.

"He was a bit of a passenger, if I'm being honest, we called it half an hour in that he was going to come off because for some reason it feels at the moment he [Mikel Arteta] doesn't fancy him.

“That is going to damage his England's chances.”

Arsenal legend Martin Keown then took aim at suggestions that Arteta doesn’t fancy Eze by claiming the £67.5million summer signing from Crystal Palace is still getting to grips with the system.

“To say he doesn’t fancy him, I think it’s more a case the player doesn’t quite know understand the structure in the same way that Odegaard does,” Keown responded.

“So Odegaard knows exactly where to be when the opposition have the ball and then picking up those little spaces, little passes and building play.

“That’s something Odegaard does well and Eze hasn’t quite picked that up yet. It will come in time, I’m sure it will.”