Arsenal - Roy Keane
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Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has cast doubt on Arsenal star Eberechi Eze’s impact during England’s 2-0 victory over Andorra in their 2026 World Cup qualifier at Villa Park on Saturday night.
Although the Three Lions maintained their flawless record in Group K, Keane argued that England manager Thomas Tuchel will expect far more from the 27-year-old attacking midfielder, who struggled to impose himself against a defensively compact Andorra side.
England’s goals came via a Christian Garcia own goal, forced by Noni Madueke’s cross in the 25th minute, and a Declan Rice header from a Reece James delivery midway through the second half.
READ MORE: Thomas Tuchel criticises Arsenal stars after England’s win over Andorra
Eze, deployed in the No. 10 role, managed just 38 touches and created no clear chances before being replaced by Morgan Gibbs-White in the 78th minute. His best opportunity came from a Madueke cutback, but his shot was saved by goalkeeper Iker Alvarez, with Marcus Rashford failing to convert the rebound.
Eberechi Eze
Eberechi Eze (Image credit: Getty )
Speaking on ITV’s coverage, Keane delivered a blunt verdict: “The worry for me when we talk about players like this… I think he did okay. But the manager will be saying ‘okay is not good enough. We need to be setting higher standards than that.’”
Keane’s criticism reflects the heightened expectations on Eze following his £67.5 million move from Crystal Palace to Arsenal last month. Tuchel echoed the sentiment, admitting: “Ebz [Eberechi Eze] didn’t have his very best day in the number 10 position. It was congested in the middle, and he struggled a little bit.”
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Despite the critique, teammate Madueke defended Eze’s effort, telling BBC Radio 5 Live: “It’s tough when you’re up against 11 players in 30 metres of space. Ebz worked hard, and we’ll keep pushing each other.”
Keane insisted that players of Eze’s calibre must deliver more decisive contributions in matches where England are expected to dominate. He also praised debutant Elliot Anderson, suggesting the Nottingham Forest midfielder showed more spark than some of England’s established stars.
Eze’s quiet evening comes as Arsenal deal with injuries to William Saliba, Bukayo Saka, and Kai Havertz, adding pressure on the midfielder to adapt quickly at both club and international level. With England facing a tougher test away to Serbia on Tuesday, Tuchel will be hoping for a sharper display from his new playmaker.
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