“I Was Expecting More” – Alan Smith Makes Frank Admission About £67.5M Arsenal Signing – Exclusive
Arsenal legend Alan Smith says Eberechi Eze has been a disappointment since he joined the club last year.
The Gunners paid Crystal Palace a fee that could reach £67.5m for the England international, having beaten Tottenham to his signature in the process.
However, speaking exclusively to Gooner News (courtesy of Best Betting Sites UK), Smith gave a rather damning verdict on the player’s first year at the Emirates:
“I was expecting more from Eze, I must admit. His Crystal Palace form, he’s a very talented player. He’s been in and out of the team, maybe not kind of nailed down a particular position, but yeah, I think he has been a bit disappointing.”
Eze’s Arsenal stats speak for themselves
The 28-year-old has only found the back of the net in 7 of his 58 appearances for Arsenal. There are, of course, two standout games – the two North London derbies last season in which he scored 5 goals.
Beyond that, though, Eze’s best moments are rather sparse. This season, he has yet to get off the mark, while his solitary assist was for Max Dowman’s outstanding solo goal against Ipswich.
Should Dowman be ahead of Eze in the pecking order?
Some will suggest that Eze is going to continue getting minutes on the left wing, but he has struggled to make an impact there. He clearly prefers the No. 10 role.
Based on what we saw in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night, though, some fans will be questioning whether the England star should be getting more minutes than Dowman
The 16-year-old looks more potent in attacking areas, and if you compare them like for like in terms of goals and assists since the start of last season, there is only one winner.
Eze averages a goal contribution every 196 minutes for the Gunners, while Dowman’s average is 142 minutes. It will be interesting to see how Arteta manages the pair’s game time going forward.