Owen Hargreaves tells Mikel Arteta he has ‘really special player’ at Arsenal | Football

Owen Hargreaves praised two of Mikel Arteta’s summer signings and backed Arsenal for a sensational season after the FA Cup win over Wigan Athletic. 

The Gunners booked their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup and kept their unlikely quadruple dreams alive with a 4-0 victory over League One side Wigan. 

Arteta’s side scored four goals in the first half an hour with Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus getting on the scoresheet. 

While Wigan limited the damage from then on, it was nevertheless a dominant and impressive performance from an Arsenal side still challenging for all four trophies. 

The Gunners are top of the Premier League with 12 games to go, safely through to the knockout stages of the Champions League and already in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City.

‘Arsenal could win four trophies,’ Hargreaves said on TNT Sports. ‘They have built a brilliant team, so they have the depth and they have the squad.

‘They have an opportunity to create something special. Credit to Wigan in the second half as they defended better, but Arsenal just have too much firepower.

‘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.’

Hargreaves reserved special praise for two of Arteta’s summer signing, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke.

£67.5m signing Eze responded well from the blow to being subbed off at half-time in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Brentford last week.

The England international was described as a ‘passenger’ by Peter Crouch after that game but was ‘the best player on the pitch’ against Wigan, according to Hagreaves.

‘I thought today he was incredibly sharp,’ Hargreaves said of the former Crystal Palace star. ‘Everything was quick, everything was precise.

‘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.’

Arsenal legend Martin Keown also praised Eze after agreeing with his half-time substituion against Brentford.

‘I’m a big fan and you need these players – look at the injuries [Martin] Odegaard has had,’ Keown said. ‘But Eze has got to do more of this.

‘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.’

On Eze’s Arsenal career to date, Keown added: ‘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.

‘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.

‘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.’

Eze’s Arsenal teammate Madueke also impressed Hargreaves in the emphatic FA Cup win over League One strugglers Wigan.

Eyebrows were raised when Arsenal agreed to pay £50m for the Chelsea winger last summer but Hargreaves is a fan.

‘Noni Madueke is a great player – he is a smart player, and he is a goalscorer,’ said the former Manchester United and Bayern Munich midfielder.

‘Again, today, his awareness of when to link play short and when to play in behind was terrific.’

Arsenal return to Premier League action on Wednesday night against basement boys Wolves before a north London derby against Tottenham at the weekend.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

MORE: Alan Pardew names team that could thwart Arsenal’s quadruple hopes after Wigan victory

MORE: ‘That’s a possibility’ – Mikel Arteta hints at new role for key Arsenal star after Wigan win

MORE: Noni Madueke praises ‘unbelievable’ Arsenal team-mate after victory over Wigan