Arsenal legend gives the reason Mikel Arteta has snubbed £67.5million star | Football

Arsenal legend Nigel Winterburn fears Eberechi Eze is paying the price for his ‘laid back style’.

Much was expected of the England international when he returned to his boyhood club in the summer after he left Crystal Palace and turned down a move to Tottenham at the last minute.

Eze has shown glimpses of his potential and appeared to have cemented his team when he marked his first north London derby appearance with an historic hat-trick in a thumping 4-1 win.

The 27-year-old hasn’t scored a single goal, however, since that treble and he has found starting opportunities hard to come by after he made a defensive error during November’s defeat at Aston Villa.

Martin Odegaard’s return to fitness has also played a role in Eze’s lack of minutes and Winterburn believes the captain’s more industrious style is far more in keeping with what Arteta demands from his more creative players.

‘I think Martin Odegaard is more energetic than Eberechi Eze,’ Winterburn told BetWright.

‘Odegaard leads the press very well, which is a role I don’t think is suited to Eze. He looks a bit laid back as a player – when he comes on, he’s got to find the space and demand the ball a bit more.

‘Eze is a player I rate very highly, but it might be a case of Mikel Arteta looking at how hard he wants his team to work.

‘If that’s what he wants from his team, then you can understand why he prefers the likes of Odegaard in these types of games.

‘Eze is still a great player with a lot to offer the side and hopefully, he can start to get some game time and we can see the best of him in an Arsenal shirt very soon.’

Arteta, meanwhile, has revealed he called his players for a meeting to ‘bring down the temperature’ – and pleaded with Arsenal’s anxious fanbase to “jump on the fun boat” – in the wake of their defeat to Manchester United.

Arsenal’s Premier League title tilt was dealt a blow following a 3-2 loss to United at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Arteta’s squad have taken just two points from the nine available across their last three matches.

However, Arsenal remain four points clear at the top of the table, and on Wednesday, take on Kairat at home in the Champions League bidding to retain their immaculate record in Europe so far. They are also on course to reach the Carabao Cup final and remain in the FA Cup.

And Arteta said: ‘The reaction since United has been excellent. We took a moment (on Monday) to bring the temperature down, to pause, to reflect and ask two questions.

‘One was: ‘How do we feel? And how do I feel myself?’. And then: ‘How do we want to live the next four months?’.

‘It was so encouraging and beautiful, because what came out of there (the meeting) is very simple.

‘We have earned the right to be in a great position in four competitions, and in the next four months we’re going to live and play with enjoyment, with a lot of courage and with the conviction that we’re going to win it.

‘This is going to be the mindset and where we’re going to put our energy, and I’m just hoping that everybody that is related to this club, especially our supporters, jump on that boat because this is the way that we’re going to live the next four months because we deserve to live like this.’

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