Mikel Arteta praises Eberechi Eze in Carabao Cup win

Mikel Arteta lavished praise on Eberechi Eze after his standout performance in Arsenal’s 2-0 Carabao Cup win over Port Vale.

Eze opened his Arsenal’s account eight minutes into the game after Gabriel Martinelli and Myles Lewis-Skelly combined well to find him, who slotted home his maiden Gunners’ goal.

The hosts grew into the game but could not convert any of their chances.

Trossard sealed the victory for the North London side after he was found from a beautiful pass over the top by William Saliba, and the Belgian calmly slotted the ball low past Gauci with pinpoint accuracy.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Arteta commended Eze’s performance and admitted he had chances to score more.

“He should have scored another two, I think. He’s a player that needs to be in touch with the ball, and we’ll find different ways of doing that.”

The Arsenal boss expressed satisfaction with Saka’s playing time and confirmed his availability for the weekend.

“Maximum for him was 60 minutes. He comes from an important injury, and we need to manage his load. He will be around for the weekend, yes.”

The goalscorer Eze raved about his debut strike and described it as “very special”.

“Very special. Something I’ve been working towards for a long time.

“It’s a difficult place to come; solid team, it’s important to get a first goal and move forwards.

“There is a lot of depth in the squad, special players coming off the bench who can bring fresh energy.”

The Gunners shift their attention back to the Premier League as they face Newcastle United at St James’ Park on Sunday.