Eberechi Eze not playing in the last 4 games is not the big issue that it is being made out to be. It is simply the consequence of playing at a big club.

In the last 4 Premier League games, Eze has failed to play a single minute. But this is not due to any big conspiracy such as Mikel Arteta being unhappy with his defensive work rate, form or managing his workload. It is purely because other players are in better form.

In those 4 games which Eze has not played, Arsenal have a 100% record. 12 points from 12. We are currently on a 5 game winning run in the league and top, so I am not sure why Eze not playing has become a negative story.

It is also a myth that Eze has not played much this season. He has actually played the 3rd most Premier League minutes of all of our attacking midfield options:

Saka – 1348 minutes

Trossard – 1073

Eze – 917

Odegaard – 798

Madueke – 499

Martinelli – 480

Eze has played just 65 minutes less than Jeremy Doku, and more minutes than Rayan Cherki, Savinho, Oscar Bobb and Omar Marmoush. Top clubs rotate their forwards. It is not a new story.

Fellow new boys Hincape, Mosquera and Norgaard have also played less minutes than Eze this season. Like Eze, they all would have known that they were going to become squad players when leaving the sides they played week in week out for to join The Arsenal.

Eze, Hincape and Mosquera have all already played huge parts in our rise to the top this season, coming in for Arteta’s starters.

Like Ben White, Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri and Gabriel Jesus, the all need to continue working hard in training and be ready when called upon. Eze’s time will come again this season.

If anyone who is not playing regularly decides to throw a strop and down tools, it will just show that they are not the right mentality to play at a top club.

Arteta’s job is to ensure all players are mentality motivated and feel part of the success even if they are not playing. And so far there are no cracks in his squad.

The lack of minutes in the last 4 games for Eze should not be seen as a negative story, but actually testament to the squad depth at Arsenal.

Eze was the King of Palace. Arsenal has Gods.

Keenos

With players coming back from injury, Ethan Nwaneri was not even on the Arsenal bench last night.

Some will use Nwaneri’s lack of minutes this season as a way to bash Mikel Arteta, but what it shows is the strength in depth of our squad right now.

Yesterday was the first game of the season when Arteta had every one of this attacking options available.

Bukayo Saka, Viktor Gyokeres, Leandro Trossard and Martin Odegaard started. Gabriel Jesus and Noni Madueke came off the bench with Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Eberechi Eze not seeing any game time.

That is 9 players ahead of Nwaneri in the pecking order, and no one with a brain could make a case for him getting int the squad ahead of any of them.

The question is what do we do with Nwaneri in the second half of the season? Do we keep him around “just in case”, or is it now time for him to go out on loan?

Nwaneri turns 19 in March. He has shown he is Preier League ready. A lot of mid-lower PL sides would go for him, and he would start for them. Rumours right now are that Bournemouth are leading the way as they look for a quick replacement for Antoine Semenyo.

The only issue I see is what happens in 6 months? Those same 9 names wil still be ahead of him, and I can only really see Gabriel Jesus leaving us in the summer, which doesn’t really open a spot for Nwaneri. Every player has his price…

In the first half yesterday, the ball was in play for just 24 minutes.

Aston Villa spent more than 17 minutes taking goal kicks, free kicks, throw ins, etc.

This is the way Unai Emery teams play, and why he suits smaller clubs such as Aston Villa. Looking to take time out of the game at every opportunity is not something you can get away with at a top club.

As for Emi Martinez, he is simply a cry baby. Wastes tom at every opportunity, then berates ball boys when they don’t get him the ball back quick enough. An average goal keeper who has lived off a couple of exceptional moments. Yesterday’s headless at the final whistle shows that whilst he enjoys giving it, he can not take it.

Keenos

I am reading a lot right now about Arsenal’s unconvincing wins.

The last 3 Premier League games have been won by a single goal. But the key is 9 points from 9 games. We are now also 5 wins in 5 in all competitions.

Last season we drew 14 games in the Premier League. We dropped 21 points after leading games. 8 of which were dropped at home. Being unable to hold onto a lead was the reason we did not win the league.

I look at games such as against Everton, Brighton and Wolves and think “last year we would have draw or lost those games”. This year we are winning. And that is shown in the fact that we are 10 points better off this season than last in the “corresponding games”.

Liverpool last seas  won 9 out of 38 games by a single goal. Their ability to come behind to take the lead and hold on to win was why they won the league.

I have never known a fan base to be so negative after 5 wins in a row. It used to be said that a sign of champions was winning whilst not being out of 2nd gear. 

Yet for Arsenal we are being criticised for winning whilst not getting out of 2nd gear, and being top of the league despite the injury issues we have had in his season.

I am just glad that most of the negative nancies gave up their season tickets, and now just sit online or phoning up TalkSport to share their special brand.

Today we face Aston Villa who, after a very slo start, are the form team in Europe.

Smaller clubs with players with no egos certainly suits Unai Emery. Whilst some will say “Arsenal made a mistake getting rid”, he has shown throughout his career that he doesn’t not have the mental aptitude to handle the pressure at a top club, or deal with top players. The likes of Aston Villa suits him and good luck to him. I always liked him (he was my favourite to replace Arsene Wenger even before he went to PSG)

UTA

Keenos