Martin Odegaard’s selection for Norway against Wales offers Arsenal encouragement after his ankle scare. It also leaves Mikel Arteta with a question worth addressing before the next injury forces his hand: how can this attack share its creative responsibilities more effectively?
Eberechi Eze should be central to that discussion.
The debate should extend beyond whether he replaces Odegaard when the captain is unavailable. Arsenal need ways to use their different strengths together, while retaining an alternative when one needs a rest.
That requires more than moving Eze’s name into the middle of a formation graphic. The positioning of the winger, striker and supporting midfielders would determine whether a central role gives him freedom or simply surrounds him with opponents.
Eberechi Eze’s Arsenal role needs room to turn
Our recent coverage examined the questions surrounding Eze’s Arsenal form. The more useful next step is to consider the situations in which he could become influential.
There is an established basis for considering him centrally.
In an October 2025 tactical assessment for the Premier League, Adrian Clarke highlighted Eze’s ability to find runners, attack space himself and threaten goal. That historical assessment describes his range of tools, rather than proving how effectively he is using them this season.
Arsenal should seek opportunities for him to receive between an opponent’s midfield and defence, with enough separation to turn.
If he must always collect the ball with a defender tight behind him, his first action becomes survival. A pass backwards may preserve possession, but it does little to unsettle the opposition.
The timing of the supply matters. A quick pass after switching play can reach Eze before a midfielder closes the space. A delayed pass allows that same opponent to arrive alongside the ball.
Arteta’s task would be to create those receiving opportunities repeatedly, rather than expect individual skill to rescue every crowded situation.
Width would make the central move work
Bringing Eze inside would require somebody else to maintain width.
Without that, the opposition could narrow its defensive shape and concentrate more players around the area Arsenal want him to exploit. Adding another creative player centrally would then make the pitch feel smaller.
One option would be to start Eze from the left and allow him to move infield as the full-back advances outside him. Another would be to select a winger who holds the touchline while Eze operates as an attacking midfielder.
Those arrangements carry different defensive costs.
An overlapping full-back leaves space behind him. A winger staying wide may need support to avoid becoming isolated. Arsenal would have to decide which player supplies that support and who remains positioned to stop a counterattack.
Eze’s freedom should therefore come with clear responsibilities elsewhere. The aim would be to give him more useful choices when the ball arrives, with a route outside, a runner ahead and a safe pass behind.
Saka would need movement around him
Bukayo Saka’s side of the attack also matters.
An additional central creator could give Arsenal another route towards goal, reducing the temptation to send every difficult possession towards the right wing and ask Saka to solve it.
But Eze drifting towards Saka would only help if their movements created different passing angles.
If both came short at the same moment, a compact opponent could defend them without retreating. If one received while the other threatened the space beyond, the defender would face a more difficult choice.
The striker’s movement would be equally important. A run across a centre-back could open a shooting lane for Eze. Holding a central position could stop that defender stepping forward to challenge him.
These are potential combinations for Arteta to develop. They should be judged through the chances they create, rather than the number of talented attackers squeezed into the line-up.
Odegaard and Eze could share the work
Odegaard’s return to Norway’s starting side is encouraging after the earlier scan update on his ankle. It should not end the discussion about alternatives.
Arsenal could benefit from having two players capable of becoming the main creative outlet during different passages of a match.
Against an opponent blocking the right side, Eze could offer a route through the left or centre. If defenders stepped towards him, that movement could create room for Arsenal to switch back towards Odegaard and Saka.
The benefit would come from changing the point of attack quickly enough to exploit the adjustment.
Selecting both would also require discipline. They could not continually abandon their positions to chase the same possession. One might move towards the ball while the other stayed higher, making the next pass possible.
That balance would give Arsenal an attacking structure capable of changing within a match without requiring a substitution.
Midfield protection must survive the experiment
There would be a cost to placing two creative players ahead of the ball.
The midfielder behind them would need nearby support, particularly when an attack broke down. Asking one player to protect the entire width of the pitch would undermine the experiment before its attacking benefits could emerge.
Arsenal could keep one full-back deeper or ask the opposite midfielder to delay his forward movement. The exact choice would depend on the opponent and the available personnel.
Their upcoming fixtures include Leeds, Lille, Nottingham Forest, Bayern Munich and Everton. Arteta would not need an identical attacking arrangement for every match.
He would need a clear purpose for each variation.
A greater central role for Eze should create more opportunities to receive facing goal, combine with runners and threaten the penalty area. If it merely increases congestion, Arsenal should adjust the surrounding movements.
Odegaard’s fitness remains important. Building an attack that can share his workload would make Arsenal better equipped whether their captain starts, rests or needs replacing during a match.
