Clinton Morrison baffled by Eberechi Eze amid Arsenal exit latest
Eberechi Eze scored twice for Arsenal as he returned to the starting XI for their 4-1 win over Tottenham on Sunday.
The attacking midfielder earned just his second league start since the middle of December against the Gunners’ North London rivals, and he marked his return to the starting XI with a crucial brace.
Eze netted Arsenal’s first and third goals in their latest victory, as a double from Viktor Gyokeres helped Mikel Arteta’s men go five points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Eze’s lack of football has come under scrutiny at the Emirates Stadium of late, but there were no signs of any rustiness in his display against Tottenham.
Clinton Morrison confused by Eberechi Eze’s lack of football
Football Insider revealed last week that Arsenal have no plans to consider the idea of an exit for Eze this summer, despite the limited gametime that he has received in recent months.
Arteta still has big plans for the former Crystal Palace star, who has started just 14 league games since his big-money switch from Selhurst Park last summer.
Eze has delivered eight goal contributions in the league this season, including five goals across two games against Spurs, but that still hasn’t been enough for Arteta to trust him with more minutes.
That is something that Clinton Morrison has been unable to get his head around, as he was left baffled as to why the 27-year-old hasn’t featured more for Arsenal during Sunday’s North London Derby.
“I don’t know why Arteta has not been playing Eze,” the former striker said during BBC Radio 5 Live’s coverage of the game.
“He gets you more goals than (Martin) Odegaard does.”
Prior to the clash with Tottenham, Arteta had primarily used Eze in the domestic cup competitions of late, and in his last league start in the draw away at Brentford, he was singled out and substituted during the half-time break.
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Eze achieved 90-year first in Arsenal win vs Tottenham
Eze stole the show by hitting a hat-trick in the reverse fixture against Tottenham back in November, and he was at the centre of attention once again on Sunday.
The England international played a crucial role in helping to win the game for his team, but he also achieved a remarkable piece of history in the process, which places him alongside one of the Gunners’ all-time greats.
Eze’s brace saw him become just the second ever player to score four or more times in North London derbies in a single season, according to Opta Joe via their X account.
The only previous player to manage that was legendary Arsenal striker Ted Drake in the 1934-35 season, but 90 years had passed since his exploits before Eze matched him at the weekend.
He perhaps hasn’t had the impact that many fans would have expected from him so far, but when Arsenal have lined up against Spurs this season, he has continually come to the fore.