Odegaard is under pressure for his position following Arsenal’s comeback victory

Arsenal maintained their strong form in the Premier League with a comeback win over Newcastle United. Yet, inside the team, fierce rivalry has developed in midfield with captain Odegaard potentially losing his place to a recently arrived colleague.

Against Newcastle, Eberechi Eze delivered an outstanding performance playing as an attacking midfielder just behind Viktor Gyokeres. The English player was highly effective in the “zone 14” area, right outside the penalty box, where he controlled the game, distributed creative passes, and consistently generated dangerous opportunities for Arsenal.

According to Football Insider, statistics show that Eze had 4 shots, 1 chance created, a 100% success rate in dribbling, 3 passes into the final third, and 6 touches inside the opponent’s penalty area. This clearly demonstrates the all-around qualities of a classic “number 10,” something Arsenal has been lacking in recent matches.

Eze joined Arsenal from Crystal Palace for a fee of £67.5 million and quickly proved his worth. Coach Oliver Glasner praised him during his time at Palace: “Eze is always confident, with excellent finishing ability when cutting inside onto his right foot.” The match against Newcastle was a vivid example of that assessment.

In contrast to Eze’s brilliance, captain Martin Odegaard is struggling. The Norwegian star has just returned from injury but is no longer guaranteed a starting spot. Coach Mikel Arteta chose to trust Eze in the away game at Newcastle, resulting in a convincing victory for the Gunners.

This situation presents a significant challenge for Odegaard. While he remains the leader in the dressing room, on the pitch Eze is making a difference and giving Arteta reason to keep him in the starting lineup. This can be seen as a “pleasant headache” for Arteta, as both are top creative midfielders but only one can start.

After the dramatic win over Newcastle, Arsenal will continue their Champions League campaign against Olympiakos before returning to Premier League action against West Ham just before the international break.

With the team chasing trophies, maintaining healthy competition within the squad is essential. However, with Eze’s explosive form, Martin Odegaard will certainly need to work harder if he wants to avoid being displaced by his new teammate.

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