Eberechi Eze’s boyhood dreams are all coming true this season. A full-circle moment over the summer saw him move from Crystal Palace to Arsenal - the club he grew up supporting - for £67.5 million. This week, he made his Champions League debut in a 2-0 away win over Athletic Bilbao.
The England international started on the left flank, with Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard available from the bench. Eze played 70 minutes before making way for the duo, giving Arsenal supporters a chance to assess his performance in the red-hot atmosphere of San Mames Stadium, alongside fellow new signings Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke.
Arsenal didn’t score until a minute after Eze had left the pitch, with both Martinelli and Trossard getting on the scoresheet, which may have been a slight disappointment for him as he looked to make a bigger impact on the scoreline. That said, there were positives to take from his performance, even though many still fear that manager Mikel Arteta isn’t yet getting the best out of him for one particular reason.
How Eberechi Eze Performed During Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal
Eberechi Eze vs Bilbao
Eze won more duels (five) and attempted more take-ons (two) than any other Arsenal player in the first half of what proved to be a tough litmus test on Tuesday evening. Across his 71 minutes on the pitch, he also completed both of his long-ball attempts and made one key pass. But his performance came with some caveats: he lost possession 10 times and recorded a pass success rate of just 76 per cent.
The most concerning aspect of his display was his limited impact in the final third. The 27-year-old took no shots, created no chances, and failed to touch the ball in the opposition box. Brought in to reduce overreliance on Bukayo Saka and fill the void left by Kai Havertz, Eze would have been expected to contribute more to Arsenal’s attacking output.
That said, supporters could see why some of these shortcomings occurred. While he was strong defensively - winning seven of 11 ground duels - there remains a mismatch between Eze’s natural strengths and what Arteta expects from him on the pitch.
Arsenal Fans Spot Problem With How Eze Is Being Deployed
mikel arteta arsenal
A lot of the reaction from Eze's Champions League debut hinged on the fact Arteta was seen shouting at him to hug the touchline rather than cut inside and make use of his strengths in the number 10 role.
"Arteta doesn’t like to switch things up too disruptively….one of his attributes that make the team so strong but also a big weakness for situations that require it," one X user wrote, "Why can’t Trossard go to LW, Merino up top and Eze go to AM?" Elsewhere, a second added:
"Mikel Arteta is screaming at Eze to stay wide and hug the touchline, so Riccardo Calafiori plays through the middle. Complete opposite of what should be happening."
More to follow...