Eze's Form Under Scrutiny Amid Arsenal's Attacking Struggles

Eberechi Eze's current form and role within the Arsenal squad have come under scrutiny this season, a situation that has been amplified by the club's failure to secure a top-tier attacker in the recent transfer window. The forward's struggles for consistency have led to him being in and out of the starting lineup, with his contributions drawing analysis from former players and commentators.

Despite being a popular figure within the Arsenal and England camps, comments from England boss Thomas Tuchel during the last international break suggested Eze was still striving to reach his peak performance level. This observation came at a time when Arsenal had shown significant interest in marquee attacking targets such as Vinicius Jr. from Real Madrid and Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid, ultimately failing to bring either player to the club.

Christos Tzolis, signed from Club Brugge, had been Mikel Arteta's first-choice winger until an injury sustained on international duty. Tzolis's absence opened a door for Eze, who marked his return with a goal in a Champions League start against Lille. However, he was unable to replicate this impact in the subsequent league match against Forest.

"I think that finding his role and position has been challenging," noted former Arsenal and England defender Matt Upson. "And when you come to a club with the stature and the quality of Arsenal, if you're not showing that you're nailing down a certain role, I think it's very very hard to maintain a position in the team. He's now filling in a bit on the left-hand side, which I don't think particularly suits him, but he's had to. He doesn't play like a wide player for me and I think just knowing your role when you're at a club like Arsenal is so important."

Eze previously scored impactful goals for Crystal Palace, including a winner in the 2025 FA Cup final against Manchester City. Upson elaborated, "I think all the high-end stuff that we saw from him which made him a player that Arsenal we're going to go and target, that's the icing on the cake. So when the foundation's not quite there in terms of the situations you're getting in and how quickly you get into the ball, where you are on the field, where your headspace is at about what your role is and what you've got to do, then it's hard to produce those moments that make you the top player."

Eze found success on the left wing at Palace, but in his final two seasons there, he often played in a narrower number 10 role. With Martin Odegaard established as the primary player in that position at Arsenal, and Arteta's midfield options limiting the likelihood of the pair starting together regularly, Eze's pathway into the starting XI appears restricted.

Upson suggested that Eze needs to gain clarity on his required role. "It's almost a process for him if he wants to kind of grow into starting more matches for Arsenal. I think figuring that out is really important and having that level of intensity, which I think has been an adjustment for him from where he's come from - into a big club, with a manager that they don't come more intense than really."

While there is an argument that Eze lacks consistent game time in a fixed position, statistics indicate he receives substantial playing time. Across the 63 matches Arsenal played last season, Eze started 36 (57%). Since his debut in August 2025, he has started in 56% of games (40 out of 72). His 11 goals in 61 appearances have been scored across just eight matches.

He has delivered crucial moments for Arsenal, including five goals against Tottenham Hotspur in two Premier League fixtures, a hat-trick in the home game, and winners against Newcastle and his former club Crystal Palace during the team's title-winning campaign.

Encouragingly, Eze's per-90-minute statistics for the current season show an increase in assists (0.25), combined goals and assists (0.50), shots on target (0.74), successful dribbles (1.98), and touches in the opposition box (5.95) compared to the previous campaign, suggesting potential for improvement.

Manager Mikel Arteta commented on the team's aspirations, stating, "We have some really good players and the expectations are so big for all of them. And we want more from everybody. That is the mindset. That is what is going to make us better individually and as a team. I hope that continues as it is going to push all of us to reach different kind of levels and develop."

Arsenal is scheduled to play Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday at 20:00 BST.