'A really special player' - Why 'exceptional' Eberechi Eze will 'play an important part' in Arsenal's quadruple bid

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Arsenal brushed Wigan Athletic aside with a thumping 4-0 win on Sunday to book their place in the Emirates FA Cup fifth round. Eberechi Eze caught the eye with two superb assists and TNT Sports experts Martin Keown and Owen Hargreaves picked him out for praise after. Eze was hailed as a "really special" talent who would "play an important part" in The Gunners' bid for four trophies.

Highlights: Arsenal cruise into fifth round with win over Wigan

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Eberechi Eze was hailed as "exceptional" and a player with "everything in the locker" after his starring role in Arsenal’s Emirates FA Cup win over Wigan Athletic, but Martin Keown believes it is now time for him to deliver "big moments in an Arsenal shirt."

The midfielder was hooked at half-time during The Gunners’ 1-1 Premier League draw away to Brentford on Thursday but bounced back in style with a dazzling display at the Emirates.

Eze set up the first two goals for Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli to send his side on their way to a handsome 4-0 victory against their League One opponents.

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Three-time Premier League winner Keown was impressed by the performance of the former Crystal Palace man in the competition he was integral to his former club winning last season, but called on him to start delivering when it matters most.

"I’m a big fan. You need these players - look at the injuries [Martin] Odegaard has had. But he’s got to do more of this," Keown told TNT Sports.

"I think he’s a player who needs to be nearer to the goal. These are assists he’s getting, so get him higher up the pitch if you can. Look at this for a repertoire of passes that he has. He has everything in the locker.

"He was more dynamic today, more confident. He’s at a big club now. When he was at Palace, he really made his mark there. He scored the winning goal in the FA Cup final for Palace. Those big moments now need to come in an Arsenal shirt."

'Everything he did was exceptional' - Hargreaves analyses 'incredibly sharp' Eze

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Fellow TNT Sports pundit Owen Hargreaves was also mesmerised by the 27-year-old’s display.

"I thought today he was incredibly sharp. Everything was quick, everything was precise," said the former England midfielder.

"There is no denying he is a really special player. Obviously, it’s difficult in a team like Arsenal, when they have so many top players and he’s finding his way in the team. But today he was the best player on the pitch. Everything he did was exceptional."

A momentous few months lie ahead for Eze, whose side are still in the running for four trophies.

Arsenal sit four points clear on top of the Premier League table, topped the league phase of the UEFA Champions League with a perfect eight wins from eight, and are still in the running for Carabao Cup and FA Cup glory.

Eze has five goals and six assists to his name from 35 appearances in all competitions so far this season and will be hoping his club form can earn him a spot in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the FIFA World Cup this summer.

"He’s finding his feet. He’s come in a bit late to an Arsenal situation. When he was playing for Palace, I don’t think the defensive side of the game was top of the list," Keown added.

Madueke hails 'unbelievable' Eze for 'pulling all the strings' in Arsenal win

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"Something happened in the Aston Villa game [a 2-1 defeat in December] where he switched off for a moment, and it was like, ‘You need to learn, need to defend a little bit more because it’s all there when you get the ball.’

"But I’d like to see him a little bit further up the pitch because he’s got immense ability in front of goal. He’s got electricity in his feet. He can really hit a ball and score goals. He scored in the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final of this competition last year for Palace. We need to see that in an Arsenal shirt."

Keown continued: "He’s going to play an important part. If Arsenal are going to win the four trophies they are in the running for, he’s still an important player for the rest of the season."

Hargreaves believes Mikel Arteta’s men have what it takes to go on and win all four of the trophies they are in the running for.

The Premier League title has eluded the north London club for 22 years, while they have never been crowned European champions.

Arsenal’s win over Wigan sent them into the FA Cup fifth round, while their first chance to get their hands on a trophy comes against Manchester City in the League Cup final on March 22.

Arteta says 'intensity and intention' were key for first-half rout

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"They could win four trophies. They have built an incredible team, they have the depth, they have the squad," Hargreaves said.

"They are the favourites in the Premier League, they were the best team in the Champions League [league phase]. They have an opportunity to create something really special, but these last two or three months are decisive and they need to find a way to get over the line.

"They could win four. It would be a big ask. If they win two, they will be happy. But I think Mikel Arteta will be really proud of where the team is at now, they just need to finish the job."

Arteta: That's what we want from him

Arsenal boss Arteta was asked about the performance of Eze in his post-match press conference and was pleased with what he saw.

"Some superb balls and his intentions, I think the risk that he took in the final third, the amount of shots that he tried to take as well, I think that's really positive. That's what we want from him," Arteta said.

"He's already playing a big role, he's played a lot of games for us and he will continue to do that."

Asked about the confidence Eze could take from a standout display, Arteta was optimistic.

"That's what those players need, those moments," he said.

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"Especially when we talk about the creative players, they need to feel that they are producing those moments and I'm very happy with that.

"Very happy with Gabi [Martinelli] as well, the run that he made, the timing of that and then the finish in action, really, really positive. So it's good for the mood, for the confidence, it's a really good thing."

Eze's game in numbers

Eze's heat map and touch map from the match against Wigan underline the extent of his involvement.

Opta data shows that as well as his two assists, Eze created two chances - only Madueke conjured up more with four.

Eze's passing accuracy came in at 92% with 46 completed from 50 passes, with his accuracy in the final third - where his 27 passes were more than any other Arsenal player - were at an impressive rate of 85.2%.

The former Palace man also became the first Arsenal player to assist two goals in an FA Cup game at the Emirates since Hector Bellerin against Sunderland in January 2016.

Eze touch map Opta

Image credit: Opta

Opta heat map Eberechi Eze

Image credit: Opta

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