Arsenal need to get more out of Eberechi Eze but it's also on the 28-year-old attacker to rediscover his best form
Eberechi Eze
Eberechi Eze is having a tough season so far with Arsenal
View 3 Images
Eberechi Eze is quite simply too talented for his career to purely be defined by moments. The deft and technically-gifted attacking midfielder has seemingly mastered the knack of coming in clutch.
While that's by no means a bad habit to have within your repertoire, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is well within his right to command more from the 28-year-old.
The Premier League champions did not pay £67.5million just to snatch Eze from bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur for the fun of it.
In fact, there was genuine belief inside the club that he could well prove to be a game-changer and difference-maker, most notably in the final third because he is somebody that can pick locks, find the target from range and sprinkle creative stardust. However, that has just not happened on a consistent basis.
Additionally, his current form is a major cause for concern. He's yet to start a Premier League match so far this season. At international level, Morgan Gibbs-White - a late inclusion in Thomas Tuchel's squad - was trusted ahead of Eze from the bench at left-wing in England's 3-2 Nations League defeat to Spain at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
It feels as if his confidence levels have deteriorated since missing from the penalty spot against PSG in the Champions League final in Budapest. He was largely on the periphery of England's World Cup exploits, though his exciting and explosive showing in the third-place play-off against France offered a platform to build upon.
While there has been a key positional change, Eze should have seized the initiative following the departures of Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli. The left-wing spot, which now belongs to Christos Tzolis, should have been his to lose.
So what are his numbers saying? Well, he has only played 233 minutes across all competitions to date, so the sample size is relatively small. However, the data, per 90 minutes, when compared with Tzolis and Martin Odegaard perhaps indicates why he has found playing time hard to come by.
He is creating just 1.16 chances per 90, compared to Tzolis' 2.37 and Odegaard's 3.00 (2.84 from open play), though that's only a fractional decrease from the 1.21 that he recorded during the 2025-26 campaign.
Eze is also yet to have a single shot on target this season. Intriguingly, he is attempting more dribbles (4.25 per 90) than last term (2.43). That's over twice as many as Tzolis (1.83). Despite those figures, his dribbling success rate was more efficient during his debut campaign. He completed 1.24 dribbles per 90 then, while this time around, that number has slumped to 1.16.
Eberechi Eze
Eberechi Eze is yet to score for Arsenal this season
View 3 Images
It could be argued that his best position is somewhere between left-wing and the No.10 role. For Crystal Palace, he played as a left-sided No.10 in a 3-4-2-1 system that was effectively built around his qualities. Oliver Glasner's industrious midfield and selfless energetic left wing-back Tyrick Mitchell were both central to freeing Eze up and creating the space for him to punish opponents.
Here, the expectation has shifted and demands are different. There is more pressure as Arsenal have quality all over the pitch, so there is more emphasis on individuals finding ways to express themselves within the tactical set-up of the team. Numbers are also, of course, important.
Eze has so far had fewer shots (1.55) per 90 than last season (2.45) but remarkably, he's actually enjoyed more touches in the opposition box (4.3) than last term (3.0) when he notched 10 goals and six assists in 54 games across all competitions.
Eberechi Eze
Eberechi Eze has been operating on the left-flank for Arsenal this season(Image: Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
View 3 Images
With captain Odegaard in sparkling form and Max Dowman pushing for more opportunities, Eze could well be forced to accept that his best chances, long-term, of playing regularly are at left-wing, provided the club do not pounce to sign another wide player.
The difficulty for Eze is that sharpness only comes naturally with consistent minutes. Furthermore, Tzolis has now recorded a goal and assist for Nations League table-toppers Greece since the start of the international break so the momentum is certainly in his favour.
But the games are coming thick and fast across all competitions. It should provide Eze with hope and motivation that he can turn the corner. He is also averaging fewer touches than both Odegaard and Tzolis per 90. A confident Eze shows for the ball and demands it at every opportunity and right now, he is going through the motions and drifting through large spells of matches when he is on the field.
A goal or assist - he assisted in the 4-2 Carabao Cup win at Ipswich Town - could change everything but the power is undoubtedly in the player's hands. He needs to maximise his usage of the ball, dribble less and shoot more to wrestle back the tide and reclaim the shirt from Tzolis.