“Well played, Arsenal” - Rio Ferdinand passes sarcastic comment after being told Arsenal let go of Premier League star from their academy
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand recently took a jab at Arsenal after discovering they once had Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze in their youth ranks.
Since his 2020 move to Crystal Palace, Eze has become a standout performer, becoming one of the team's best players. The 25-year-old winger has scored three goals and provided an assist across 15 Premier League games for the Eagles this season. This has led Ferdinand to praise him, as the former Manchester United defender told TNT Sports (via Express):
"His journey has been a unique journey. He's had disappointments in his academy life, been released by clubs, found a new pathway for himself but he has got to this level and is now an England international as well."
"I think this kid could go on to play for one of the top teams. He has got that individual brilliance, that awareness in his dribbling to keep his head up and bring others into play," he added.
Fellow pundit Martin Keown then revealed Eze's early release from Arsenal's academy, which led to Ferdinand sarcastically telling the Gunners:
"Well played, Arsenal!"
Arsenal enjoy impressive 5-0 win over Crystal Palace
The Gunners enjoyed a return to nice form after a challenging festive season, where they slumped to a four-match winless streak. Their commanding 5-0 victory against Crystal Palace has propelled them to third in the standings after their poor form saw them drop in league position.
The match was largely one-sided as Arsenal exploited Crystal Palace's weaknesses from set pieces. Center-back Gabriel was instrumental as he scored the opening goal and contributed to the second by forcing Dean Henderson into scoring an own goal.
Leandro Trossard added to Palace's defensive problems with a goal of his own in the second half, which broke his goal drought since November. The pressure didn't reduce and the Gunners continued their dominance until substitute Gabriel Martinelli scored a brace in injury time to secure their win in proper style.
This impressive victory has placed the Gunners on par with Manchester City and Aston Villa in the league standings. All three clubs are sitting just two points behind leaders Liverpool. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace are in more of a problematic position as they now sit in 14th place, only five points clear of the relegation zone.