Arteta can bench Eze & Odegaard by unleashing "Arsenal's version of Foden"

The mood around Arsenal is a lot more nervous than it was a few weeks ago.

Sure, Mikel Arteta’s side are still top of the Champions League and Premier League, but their recent performances have left a lot to be desired.

Moreover, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, in particular Phil Foden, appear to be getting back to the very best.

However, while the atmosphere around the club is a little down at the moment, there is still a lot to be optimistic about for Arsenal, and there could be even more should Arteta opt hand his own version of Foden more minutes in place of Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze.

Odegaard & Eze’s seasons so far

Now, it should be said that neither Odegaard nor Eze have had a bad season for Arsenal so far.

In fact, both players have had some really impressive moments in red and white, but it’s also true that they’ve been somewhat disappointing at times.

Starting with the former Crystal Palace star, it would be fair to say that few signings in the Emirates era have been met with such excitement from the fans.

However, while he scored the incredible hat-trick against Tottenham Hotspur and that acrobatic effort against his own side, there have been more than a few games in which he’s totally ghosted.

For example, away to Aston Villa, he was removed at half-time, and then at home against Wolverhampton Wanderers, he created practically nothing and again had to be removed from the game.

With that said, Eze’s talent is still incredibly evident, and with more time, he’ll surely become more and more effective for the North Londoners.

Moving on to the club captain, the most disappointing aspect of his campaign so far this year is that he hasn’t been available enough.

The Norwegian is never going to be as flash as the Englishman, but his ability to move the ball up the pitch, instigate the press and keep hold of the ball has been instrumental for the team over the last few years.

So, the fact that he’s played just 620 minutes of action across 13 matches and already missed 66 days of action through injury this year is far from ideal.

Moreover, this has unsurprisingly led him to look a little rusty at times when he has come on or started games.

In all, Eze and Odegaard are hugely talented footballers, but Arteta doesn’t have to, nor should he, rely solely on them, especially when he has someone in the squad who could become Arsenal’s answer to Foden.

Arsenal’s answer to Foden

Arsenal have plenty of seriously talented players in their squad, but when it comes down to someone who could be their answer to Foden, only one player comes to mind: Ethan Nwaneri.

Now, this isn’t to say that the Hale Ender is as good as the City star at the moment.

However, there is every chance that the youngster could become as much of a game-changer as his compatriot, especially as there are already several parallels between them.

For example, both players have come through the academies of a ‘big six’ side; they are both English and, more crucially, share some similarities in how they play the game.

Like the City star, the 18-year-old is primarily an attacking midfielder, but has plenty of experience playing out wide and has proven himself capable of playing there at a high level.

For example, the often “unplayable” dynamo, as dubbed by Jack Wilshere, scored nine goals and provided two assists in 37 appearances, totalling 1378 minutes.

That means the teen phenom averaged a goal involvement every 3.36 games, or, more crucially, one every 125.27 minutes, which helps justify Joe Cole’s claim that “he’s the most exciting footballer in England and maybe Europe.”

This highlights another trait both players share: a desire to get the ball forward and either take a shot themselves or create a chance for their teammates at every opportunity.

In other words, while someone like Odegaard might be happier to keep hold of the ball and carefully work an angle, the two Englishmen are more explosive, more direct.

Ultimately, with all that in mind, so long as he starts to get more game time, then one analyst’s claim that “Ethan Nwaneri will be Arsenal’s version of Phil Foden” seems like an entirely reasonable one.

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