"We’ll see a side of him we’ve not seen" - Theo Walcott names one Arsenal star who needed 'kick up the backside' after Spurs win

Theo Walcott has suggested that Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard needed a ‘kick up the backside’ and will be concerned about losing his spot in the team after Eberechi Eze scored a hat-trick against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Odegaard has not featured for Arsenal since picking up a knee injury against West Ham on October 4, and summer signing Eze has ensured that the Gunners supporters haven't felt the Norwegian’s absence, thanks to his brilliant performances.

Speaking on The Overlap US, Walcott reflected on Eze’s brilliant performance in the 198th north London derby and opined that Odegaard needed that push to fight for his place.

“I love him. He’s had patches of brilliance and you thought, ‘Ah, I need a little bit more, you’re playing slightly with the handbrake on’, maybe,” Walcott said on Eze’s performance against Spurs. “But what was really nice to see is when you have a bench celebrating that much as well. They’re all on the same page, they are, however, deep down, Martin Odegaard will be thinking: ‘Oh, this is tough!’”

The former Arsenal forward added:

“Sometimes you become a better player when you’re injured sometimes, when you’re losing games. But at this moment in time, he’s becoming a worse player. And you can’t forget how good Odegaard is, and that’s the mad truth, but we’ll see a side of Odegaard we’ve not seen. I think he’s needed this kick up the backside, I’ll be brutally honest. It will be brilliant for him because it’s happened to Trossard and all of a sudden Trossard is someone different now so I think it’ll do him good. Everyone is getting pushed right now at Arsenal now and we’re in a good place, a better place, an incredible place.”

Prior to his latest setback, Odegaard often had his performance questioned, with critics citing instances of sloppiness and poor decision-making. Eze, on the other hand, made history after scoring three goals in their 4-1 win against Spurs and became the first player to score a Premier League hat-trick in the north London derby.

“He has such a quality and capacity to finish actions in different way” – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on Eze after scoring hat-trick in 4-1 win over Spurs

Mikel Arteta praised Eberechi Eze’s versatility and finishing ability after he scored his first senior hat-trick in their dominant win against their north London rivals. The former Crystal Palace star was ruthless during Sunday’s game, managing to find the net even in the tightest spaces, as seen in his second and third goals.

Speaking about Eze’s performance, Arteta told reporters after the match:

“Yeah, and it doesn't have to be perfect. It can be right, left, ball on the ground, bouncing ball at this height, and he takes it. And he has such a quality and capacity to finish actions in different ways that we need to play him very close to the box, because apart from that, obviously, for example, the ball that he put to Declan in the second minute, I think it was, to play him through and create that big chance is exceptional. We need to play him in his qualities. The more he spends time there, the better for the team.”

So far this season, Eze has recorded eight goal contributions for Arsenal in 18 appearances in all competitions.