Former Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney has advised Eberechi Eze to improve his consistency if he wants to become a regular starter for Arsenal, according to the BBC.
Eze delivered a standout performance in the north London derby on Sunday, scoring twice as Arsenal cruised to a 4-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
The win helped the Gunners extend their lead at the top of the table to five points, after Manchester City had earlier narrowed the gap with a victory over Newcastle United.
His performance has reignited calls for the former Queens Park Rangers midfielder to be handed a regular starting role ahead of club captain Martin Odegaard.
However, Rooney has dismissed those calls, insisting the England international has not shown enough consistency to merit a guaranteed starting spot ahead of the Arsenal captain.
“I disagree a bit because I don’t think he is good enough this season,” the former Manchester United striker said.
“In other games I have watched, I don’t think he’s been good enough, and clearly he’s not doing enough to warrant a place in the team consistently.”
Rooney stressed that Eze must make his selection unavoidable for manager Mikel Arteta by delivering strong performances consistently.
“And I get that [Martin Ødegaard] is the captain and it’s difficult to leave the captain out of the team, but you have got to make it almost impossible for [Mikel] Arteta,” he added.
The former England captain acknowledged that Eze’s derby heroics should earn him an opportunity to start in Arsenal’s upcoming clash against Chelsea.
“Well, he definitely warrants the chance to play in the next game,” Rooney said. “So, it’s up to him. I think he needs to perform a little bit better than he has this season.
He also compared the strengths of both attacking midfielders, noting that while Eze is more dangerous around the penalty area, Odegaard is more effective in deeper creative roles.
“I think just around the penalty box, Eze is a better player – a little bit deeper, Odegaard is a better player,” Rooney said.
“You just want to see a little bit more from him in the final third. If you could combine the two into one, you’d have a great player.
Eze, who completed his move to the Gunners in the summer, has enjoyed a decent campaign, scoring six goals and providing two assists in 23 league appearances.