Henry insists Eze and Madueke 'aren't passengers' amid Arsenal fan criticism
Thierry Henry has leapt to the defence of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke, insisting both players are having a real impact for Arsenal despite facing criticism from some supporters in recent weeks.
With Christos Tzolis and Bukayo Saka sidelined through injury, Mikel Arteta has been forced to reshuffle his attack, with Eze shifted to the left and Madueke, who struggled during his first season at the club following his move from Chelsea in 2025, deployed on the right. Arsenal also sold Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli in the summer and chose not to bring in recognised back up on either flank, leaving the pair to carry extra responsibility.
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Both have delivered when called upon. Eze scored in the 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich, while Madueke came off the bench to net the winner in the 1-0 victory at Nottingham Forest.
Henry's verdict on the duo
Speaking to Betway, Henry was asked whether Eze and Madueke could benefit from a longer run in the side. He said: “This is why you have a strong squad. Mikel Arteta knows that some players will be missing, some will get injured, and then others will have their time. When they have a chance to show what they can do, they need to show it, and Eze and Madueke have been showing it. Eze scored against Bayern, Madueke came on and scored against Nottingham Forest, so they are having an impact.”
He added: “Players are coming off the bench for Arsenal and scoring. That shows you that they aren't passengers, and usually they come on and change the game. That's the luxury of having good players on the bench, and that's why Mikel Arteta is calm when he's asked questions about players like Eze and why they aren't playing so much.”
Looking ahead to Anfield
Arsenal travel to Liverpool this weekend looking to keep pace with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, and will also be without Max Dowman after his red card in the Carabao Cup defeat at Fleetwood Town. The trip comes with added significance after City won 3-0 at Anfield earlier this month.
Henry played down any added pressure from that result. “I never used to look at the league like that as a player,” he said. “City didn't win at Villa this season, and Arsenal did. Arsenal lost at Villa last year. You can also mention that we won at Brighton last year and didn't this year. You can look at history and see that some teams struggle at certain grounds, like Tottenham at Chelsea until last weekend, but then you break the ice and it's all good.”
He continued: “Last year we lost at Anfield, Szoboszlai scored an outstanding free kick, so let's see what happens this time. We played a lot of games without Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz, but still managed to find a way. Look at who scored the other day, Konsa and Gabriel. This team finds a way to win games.”
Henry also reflected on how Arsenal responded after a defeat to Brighton. “After the defeat against Brighton, I said we have to see if that game would be a heavy one for the Arsenal players. They reacted well, and I thought the approach to the game against Bayern Munich was very good, trying to be on the ball, put pressure on and play through the lines. Let's see what happens away from home against a Liverpool team who are looking a bit better, especially against Brighton. I thought that was going to be a challenge for them, but fair play, they are playing well.”
Arsenal will be looking for Eze and Madueke to continue their recent form as they aim to pick up another result on the road this weekend.
