Arsenal legend Nigel Winterburn believes Eberechi Eze’s “laid-back” style is partially to blame for his recent struggles.
The £67.5m summer signing was hauled off at halftime during the 1-1 draw against Brentford on Thursday night, and asked to assess Eze’s form, Winterburn said that the England international has to be more assertive in the final third:
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“He’s now at a huge club in terms of expectation, and he, Havertz, and Odegaard are battling to be in the same position. The one thing I would say is Odegaard’s all energy. Eze looks a little bit more laid-back with the way, the style he plays. When he gets that opportunity, I would just like to see him a bit more demanding of the ball in the creative areas and really showing us what we know he can do. He’s got lovely close control, can pick out a pass, and can score goals.”
“From now to the end of the season, I would think Eze is going to get plenty of game time. ‘He’s a player I really like. Although we don’t like to say it, sometimes, when you sign players, you give them up to a year to completely settle in.”
“We want everyone to hit the ground running and show us exactly what they’ve got. But Mikel Arteta’s style is a high-intensity press. It’s a huge amount of workload on the players, and Eze’s just got to adapt to that situation.”
The Arsenal star has struggled since his hat-trick vs Spurs
The 27-year-old has 0 goals and just 1 assist since scoring three times in the North London derby back in late November.
He has made 16 appearances in all competitions since that 4-1 win over Tottenham.
Eze will be needed over the coming weeks
If Martin Odegaard has picked up another injury, as some suspect, after being seen limping after the Brentford game, then Eze could be set to play a lot of football.
With Kai Havertz expected to be on the treatment table for at least another three matches, and Max Dowman also still on the sidelines, Eze is very much the only No.10 available.
It is time for the midfielder to step up to the plate, and a strong performance against Wigan on Sunday would be a good start.
Read more about the Arsenal First Team Squad for 2025/26 here