Arsenal huddle
Image credit: Getty Images
Former Arsenal winger Anders Limpar believes Eberechi Eze should not be restricted to one role in Mikel Arteta’s system, insisting the England international thrives best when given freedom to express himself across the pitch.
Eze, who joined the Gunners from Crystal Palace in August for an initial £60 million, has endured a relatively quiet start to life in north London despite Arsenal’s impressive run of results. The competition for attacking positions at the Emirates remains fierce, with Gabriel Martinelli continuing to make the left flank his own, leaving Eze still searching for a permanent place in the starting XI.
Limpar, however, feels the 27-year-old shouldn’t be confined to that position at all. Instead, he believes Eze’s fluid and unpredictable movement should be embraced, allowing him to drift into dangerous spaces and influence play more dynamically.
“We haven’t seen even 10 per cent of Ebere Eze’s best in an Arsenal shirt yet,” Limpar toldHajper. “For a star player at Crystal Palace where they’re playing in one way, and he’s the big star, to come to Arsenal it is a different kind of play, and he is no longer the big star. It’s probably hard to cope for a player like Eze.”
READ MORE: Nigel Reo-Coker declares Arsenal bargain star one of the best in the world
The ex-Arsenal midfielder went on to explain that Eze’s brilliance lies in his ability to roam, much like Bukayo Saka or Phil Foden and that a rigid tactical setup could limit his impact.
“When I look at Eze, he floats all over the pitch like [Bukayo] Saka. For Eze to be at his best for Arsenal, he should never have a fixed position. He has to go where the space is like Phil Foden. He can’t just be stuck on the left side. He is one of the players who can excel in that free role,” Limpar said.
“We haven’t seen nearly enough from him and what he can do for the club but he is a favourite player of mine. Just give him a few goals and I think he’s going to explode for Arsenal.”
Eberechi Eze
Eberechi Eze (Image credit: Getty Images)
Eze started Arsenal’s recent 1–0 win over Fulham but was withdrawn in the second half after struggling to make a significant impact. Arteta, however, defended his performance, stressing that the playmaker remains an important part of his plans.
“He’s more used to attacking open spaces and breaks and facing and carrying the ball with space in front of him, he’s so good and comfortable doing that,” the Arsenal boss said after the match.
“He had his moments today, he put Viktor once or twice through in really good spaces and that maybe if it finished in a goal it would’ve looked a bit different. But I’m very happy with what he’s doing and we can use him in different positions. Today we used him in that one and we can carry on trying to improve.”
The midfielder kept his place for Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid, playing a role in Arsenal’s emphatic 4-0 victory, a result that maintained their perfect record in Europe this season.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE NOW ARSENAL WHATSAPP GROUP CHAT NOW!
Limpar, meanwhile, believes the Gunners have the squad depth and quality to challenge on multiple fronts this campaign but warned that their key players must remain fit to sustain that push.
“If Saka stays fit for the rest of the season, we are going to be a major threat in the Champions League and Premier League,” Limpar said. “But we have to get [Martin] Odegaard back as well. He is the engine in the Arsenal team. If we get him fit we will definitely be up there.”
The Swede praised the strength of Arsenal’s current squad, one he believes is the most complete in the Premier League in recent years.
“We have some unbelievably good players on the bench. Norgaard, Zubimendi, Rice, Merino, Nwaneri or Eze attacking. As a squad, we have had the best team in the Premier League for many years now and it’s up to Arteta to fill in all the positions with the right players because when I heard him talking before the season he sounded so happy with the team,” he added.
“They have depth. They have creativity. They have the goal-scorers. They have the fans. They have the goalkeeper. It’s up to Arteta this year to actually win something because I don’t think they are going to get a better chance than this one, ever.”
NEXT ARTICLE: Arsene Wenger makes huge Arsenal title claim