Arsenal forward Eberechi Eze is known for his off-the-cuff skill, maverick nature, and entertaining style that traditionally wows fans wherever he plays. However, those familiar elements have been missing lately, leading many to question whether he can reproduce the top performances of his past.
The Struggle for Role and Form
During Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest, Eze made his first Premier League start of the season but was replaced at half-time after completing just nine passes and 22 touches. This is not the first time his place in the squad has come under scrutiny, as he switched off for Aston Villa’s opener in a 2-1 defeat in December 2025 and subsequently spent four league matches on the bench. Even England manager Thomas Tuchel noted during the last international break that Eze was working on returning to his true shape and form in training.
Scrutiny has intensified because the Gunners did not secure a new world-class attacker in the transfer window despite heavy interest in Vinicius Jr and Julian Alvarez. Although summer signing Christos Tzolis initially claimed the left-wing spot under Mikel Arteta, a hamstring injury on international duty opened a door for Eze. While Eze scored in a Champions League start against Lille, he could not replicate that success against Forest.
Former Arsenal and England defender Matt Upson told BBC Sport that finding a consistent role and position has proven challenging. Upson explained that joining a club of Arsenal’s stature makes it hard to maintain a team position without nailing down a specific role, noting that Eze is currently filling in on the left-hand side rather than playing like a natural wide player.
Upson added that Eze’s spectacular moments at Crystal Palace—such as his winner in the 2025 FA Cup final against Manchester City—represent the icing on the cake. When the foundations regarding field positioning, situational awareness, and understanding one’s role are not completely in place, producing those elite moments becomes difficult.
Eze spent his final two seasons at Crystal Palace operating in a narrower number 10 role. With captain Martin Odegaard occupying that position at Arsenal and Arteta unlikely to pair them regularly in central midfield, Eze’s path into the starting lineup remains limited. Upson believes the player must adapt to a high-intensity environment under a very demanding manager to grow into regular starts.
What the Statistics Show
While some argue that Eze lacks a consistent run in a single position to build momentum, statistics show he receives substantial playing time. Last season, the Gunners played 63 matches and Eze started 36 of them, representing 57%. Since making his Arsenal debut in August 2025, he has started 56% of matches, totaling 40 out of 72.
His 11 goals in 61 appearances have come across just eight games, though he has delivered significant moments, including five goals against Tottenham Hotspur—featuring a home hat-trick—alongside winners against Newcastle and Crystal Palace during a title-winning campaign. Encouragingly, despite a smaller sample size, his per-90-minute figures this season show increases in assists at 0.25, combined goals and assists at 0.50, shots on target at 0.74, completed dribbles at 1.98, and touches in the opposition box at 5.95 compared to the previous campaign.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta stated that expectations remain high for a squad full of quality players. Arteta explained that demanding more from everyone drives individual and team development to reach new levels.
Arsenal face Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
Source: BBC Sport
