“I don’t think…” – Former Arsenal star questions how Arteta is using £60m signing
Former Arsenal defender Matthew Upson has admitted he thinks Eberechi Eze is struggling due to Mikel Arteta using him out of position.
The Gunners signed Eze from Crystal Palace last summer in a deal worth £60m (fee via BBC Sport), and he had a decent first season as he played a part in the club winning the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years.
The England international won over fans with his North London Derby heroics, including a hat-trick in his first appearance for Arsenal against Tottenham, but overall he perhaps struggled for consistency,
It’s been a particularly slow start to this season for Eze, and Upson believes it’s mostly because Arteta has tried shifting him out wide, which isn’t the way to get the best out of him.
Ex-Arsenal star on Eberechi Eze’s struggles
“I think that finding his role and position has been challenging,” Upson told BBC Sport.
“And when you come to a club with the stature and the quality of Arsenal, if you’re not showing that you’re nailing down a certain role, I think it’s very very hard to maintain a position in the team.
“He’s now filling in a bit on the left-hand side, which I don’t think particularly suits him, but he’s had to.
“He doesn’t play like a wide player for me and I think just knowing your role when you’re at a club like Arsenal is so important.”
What next for Eze?
For the time being, Eze may have to stay out wide as Martin Odegaard is fully fit again and playing well in the centre.
Arsenal have more of a need for someone to fill in on the left, with Christos Tzolis currently out injured, while Noni Madueke is another player who can fill in there, but who has mostly shown his best form on the right-hand side.
This should mean more minutes for Eze on the left, but it will require some adjustment from the 28-year-old.
Arteta is surely a good enough coach to help Eze adapt and make more of an impact out there, but it perhaps again shows a weakness of Arsenal’s recruitment to have gone two summers in a row bringing in attacking signings that haven’t really raised the level of the attack.
