Arsenal
Eberechi Eze wants to stay at Arsenal despite playing less, according to the latest news. The midfielder has slipped down the order but believes he can win a bigger role.
Why Eze has fallen behind Odegaard and Tzolis
As reported by TEAMtalk, Arsenal now see Eberechi Eze as a squad player rather than a key starter. He joined from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2025 after Arsenal beat bitter rivals Tottenham to his signature. A hat-trick against Spurs in the north London derby raised hopes that he would become a star.
Eze has started only one of Arsenal’s first seven league games, which is about 14% of the possible starts. That lone start came away at Nottingham Forest, where Mikel Arteta took him off at half-time. Such an early change suggests Arteta has doubts about his performances, which fits the concerns around his form.
The main problem is position, because Arsenal signed him to play in the attacking midfield role. Martin Odegaard is playing at his best again, so the captain has taken it back. The left wing offers no easy answer either, since Arsenal rate Christos Tzolis above Eze on that side.
Eze’s 2026/27 stats for Arsenal so far, as per FOTMOB:
Competition Matches Started Minutes played Shots Duels won(%)
Premier League 5 1 130 1 52.2%
EFL Cup 1 1 76 1 28.6%
Champions League 3 2 231 9 58.1%
Eberechi Eze wants to stay and fight for minutes
Even after the Forest substitution, Eze is happy at the Emirates and has no plans to push for an exit. Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider says Eze feels he has “much more to give” and is relaxed about game time.
Eze showed why in the Champions League at Bayern Munich, replacing the injured Bukayo Saka in the 10th minute. He then opened the scoring in the 25th minute, and Arsenal later came back to earn a 2-2 draw. One goal will not fix everything, but it clearly strengthens his case for more starts.
From a tactical perspective, staying is the right choice for a 28-year-old who is still in his prime. Leaving now would mean giving up before he has had a fair chance to prove himself. Arsenal face a heavy schedule in the Premier League and Europe, so Arteta will need to rotate his squad.
Arsenal
How Saka’s injury could open the door
Saka may miss around six weeks with a quad injury, which could change Eze’s season. Noni Madueke is the likely starter on the right wing, but Arsenal have little depth behind him. That gives Arteta every reason to turn to Eze, who can play wide or through the middle.
Tactically, Eze offers something different from Madueke, who likes to run at defenders and attack space. Eze prefers to drift between the lines and pick out passes that unlock a compact defence. That could help Arsenal against teams that sit deep, especially when they need a late goal to break through. The pass from Odegaard that created his goal also hints that the pair can play together.
Eze does not need Odegaard’s place to matter, because football seasons often turn on impact from the bench. He can win Arteta over by repeating the end product he showed in Munich whenever he gets minutes. A second league start would double his total this season, so Arteta’s next team selection matters.
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