After back-to-back campaigns of coming painfully close and falling at the final hurdle, there was a feeling among Arsenal fans that it would be their year this season.
That feeling was only strengthened when Mikel Arteta’s side picked up two wins from their first two games last month, but things went awry against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Early on in the second half, Declan Rice was given a controversial second yellow, and while the Gunners didn’t lose, they did drop two points, and perhaps even worse than that, they’ll be without their £105m man for the North London Derby on Sunday.
However, in even worse news, Martin Odegaard limped off the pitch in Norway’s game against Austria last night, so it looks like he, too, will miss the game on Sunday.
Interestingly, the club once had a Premier League star on their books who would have been the perfect replacement for the Norwegian.
The latest on Odegaard
In the 67th minute of Norway’s 2-1 victory over Austria last night, Odegaard was substituted for what has now been confirmed as an ankle injury.
Speaking after the game, Norway’s team doctor, Ola Sand, revealed that the Arsenal captain had suffered a “small ankle sprain” and that the national team would wait and “see throughout the evening and [Tuesday] what happens next and what we will do about it.”
The injury is yet another crushing blow for the Gunners, who will now likely be without their first-choice midfield three for the must-win game on Sunday due to Rice’s aforementioned suspension and new signing Mikel Merino’s freak accident in training last month.
That said, while Thomas Partey and Jorginho should be able to step into the fold for those two, albeit at a lower level, there simply isn’t a natural replacement for the captain in the squad, and considering he racked up a seriously impressive haul of 22 goals and assists last season, that’s a serious problem.
However, while it is of no help to Arteta today, the club once had a youngster on the books who has since developed into an international star and would’ve been the ideal replacement.
Why Eberechi Eze would be the ideal replacement
Yes, the former Arsenal youngster in question is Eberechi Eze, who was a part of the club’s youth system between the ages of nine and 13, after which he was released for allegedly being too small.
The Englishman then spent time in the youth systems of Fulham and Millwall before settling at Queens Park Rangers, where he made his senior debut in an FA Cup Third Round defeat to Blackburn Rovers on the seventh of January 2017.
After a short term loan spell with Wycombe Wanderers, the Greenwich-born gem finally made his way into the Hoops’ first team and by the time he had left to join Crystal Palace for £20m in August 2020, he had racked up an impressive haul of 20 goals and 13 assists in 112 appearances.
Eberechi Eze’s last four seasons | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 |
Appearances | 36 | 17 | 40 | 31 |
Goals | 4 | 1 | 10 | 11 |
Assists | 6 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
Goal Involvements per Match | 0.27 | 0.11 | 0.35 | 0.54 |
However, while he impressed at Loftus Road, he exploded at Selhurst Park, and while he’s battled with injuries, he has since become an incredibly sought-after player, with a tally of 28 goals and 17 assists in 128 games for the Eagles and a release clause worth £68m that is reportedly set to be active once more next summer.
The Gunners were loosely linked with the 26-year-old “superstar”, as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, over the summer, but nothing materialised. However, given Odegaard’s recent injury, we are sure the club wish they had pursued him further, as his positional versatility could have been the answer to their current predicament.
For example, while the eight-capped Englishman has played all over the pitch during his career, his most played position – with 105 appearances there – is attacking midfield, and given his performances last season, in which he scored 11 goals and provided six assists, he undoubtedly could have helped carry the creative and attacking load in the Norwegian’s absence.
However, Arsenal made their decision 13 years ago, and while Eze has gone on to become a serious talent, there is no telling what would have happened had he stayed in North London; moreover, there is always the chance the club will go back in for him next summer.
