Eberechi Eze was hooked at halftime for Arsenal against Brentford
Eberechi Eze was hooked at halftime for Arsenal against Brentford
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has shared his thoughts on struggling star Eberechi Eze after the Englishman was withdrawn at halftime against Brentford. The Gunners played out a 1-1 draw against a Brentford side that gave them serious trouble, and Eze failed to shine in the game.
Arteta spoke to the media about the situation of the English midfielder, explaining that the nature of the game made it difficult for him to show his quality. He put the struggles of the 27-year-old down to his adaptation to a new club, with him having only joined the Gunners last summer.
“It’s not easy when you move to a new club. It’s always like this. When you play against a team that is like this and the ball is a lot of times not on the floor and you have to be constantly breaking the play, especially for attacking and creative players, it’s more difficult", he said (via The Guardian).
Eberechi Eze was named in the starting XI for Arsenal with Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino missing through injury and Martin Odegaard half-fit. The former Crystal Palace man was largely a passenger for most of the first half as the Bees matched Arsenal stride for stride. Just like against Aston Villa in December, he was taken off after the first half, with Odegaard taking his place on the pitch.
Eze has started only three league games since the start of December and has come off after the first half in two of those as he struggles to cope with Arsenal's style. The England international failed to create a chance or attempt at Brentford as he struggled to influence proceedings, touching the ball only 17 times.
Arsenal held by Brentford in Premier League clash
Arsenal missed out on an opportunity to go six points clear at the summit of the Premier League after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Brentford. The Gunners were seeking a response to the win from Manchester City on Wednesday but failed to articulate one, dropping two points at the GTech Stadium.
Mikel Arteta's side struggled to create openings against a plucky Brentford side but scored with their first shot on target after 61 minutes. Noni Madueke arrived in the box to head home a deep cross from Piero Hincapie as the Gunners looked set for a smash-and-grab victory.
Brentford had other ideas and responded ten minutes later, with Keane Lewis-Potter heading past David Raya following a long throw-in. Both sides came close in the final 20 minutes but neither managed to find a winner as they settled for a point apiece. The Gunners now lead Manchester City by four points with 12 games remaining in the league season.