Mikel Arteta has been urged to drop an Arsenal star “offering nothing” after defeat to Manchester United, while Bukayo Saka is one of three further players who have “not been good enough” this season.
Arsenal are still four points clear at the top of the table but there’s talk of another Premier League bottling owing to their lethargic display, which means they’ve now gone three games without a win.
Among the players most heavily criticised in the aftermath has been Martin Odegaard, who’s been a long way off his best this season, and former Premier League striker Darren Bent insists it’s time manager Mikel Arteta dropped him in favour of summer signing Eberechi Eze.
“Next weekend in the Premier League, Odegaard out. Out! Honestly, out,” Bent – a lifelong fan of Arsenal – said on talkSPORT.
“After Eze had that impact against Tottenham, where he was unbelievable, Odegaard came back in and he was better and I thought, ‘Okay, we’re going to get the Odegaard back from two years ago’, but he’s gone back to himself.
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“He’s offering nothing. Give Eze four or five games. Eze has to start and Odegaard has to come out. Give Eze a run of games now because he’s a special talent.
“The Noni Madueke-Bukayo Saka one is maybe a little bit different but Eze deserves an opportunity to have a go.
“Right now, in the attacking areas, no player can hold their hands up and say, ‘Do you know what? I don’t deserve to be dropped’, because they have all been poor.”
Bent was frustrated by Arsenal’s slow build-up play on Sunday, which Bryan Mbeumo pounced on to score United’s equaliser just before half-time.
“I don’t understand why, at the minute, Arsenal are just going backwards and sideways,” he added.
“That’s where Manchester United’s first goal comes from, rather than them just getting it out of their feet and playing forward.
“[William] Saliba to Zubimendi, to Gabriel [Magalhaes], back to [David] Raya, out to Saliba, back to Gabriel, into Declan Rice… we’re not getting anywhere and Manchester United are just shuffling across the pitch, making it easier.
“But defensively, Arsenal have been rock-solid all season so you go, ‘Okay, fair enough’, but the attacking areas need some serious work.”
Asked if he is worried Arsenal may slip up and fail to win the league, Bent replied: “Of course.
“The problem I’ve got is that Arsenal right now are not capitalising when they’re being given opportunities.
“Manchester City have dropped points, Aston Villa have dropped points, they’ve got the opportunity to win and they haven’t taken it.
“What’s worrying me as well is: how can my genuine excitement come from corners and set-plays?
“The only time at the minute when I get excited is when we get a corner and I’m thinking, “Here we go, there’s a genuine chance”, but other than that…”
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Bent picked out three Arsenal forwards who haven’t contributed enough in recent weeks, including Saka, who’s only managed seven goals and seven assists in 31 appearances so far this season.
“Listen, Saka has been incredible for Arsenal for such a long time, you can’t take anything away from him,” he said.
“But him, this season, hasn’t been good enough. He does it in moments in games but his output in terms of assists and goals has not been good enough.
“Gyokeres hasn’t been good enough. Trossard, at one point, was our most reliable attacker but he hasn’t been good enough in the last five or six games.”
