Eze’s Journey at Arsenal: From Praises to Limited Playtime

omidbasir- When Eberechi Eze signed with Arsenal last summer, manager Mikel Arteta expressed nothing but admiration for the former Crystal Palace star. Arteta acknowledged Eze’s talent as “unquestionable” and noted his capacity to deliver “magic moments”. Following Eze’s outstanding hat-trick against Tottenham in November, Arteta lauded his performance as “unbelievable”.

Arteta remarked, “I examine the statistics, and I can’t recall the last time someone scored a hat-trick in a north London derby. It has been many years. This illustrates the challenge, but it is not a coincidence. After international duty, he requested to train the following day despite having two days off. He sought guidance on his positioning and pacing. When a player possesses such talent, intelligence, and a determination to improve and make an impact on the team, remarkable things occur.”

However, the current situation is quite different; Eze has not played a single minute in Arsenal’s last three Premier League matches, with Leandro Trossard and Martin Ødegaard preferred in the attack. What has caused this shift?

Before his recent absence from the pitch, Eze was enjoying considerable game time at Arsenal, starting 17 out of his 22 appearances for the club. It appears that Arteta is now managing Eze’s minutes more closely.

Arteta stated, “I communicate with every player. It is crucial for both the players and the manager to understand how each one is feeling, assess games, and gauge the emotional state. Ebs has played more games and accumulated more minutes than ever before. I believe he has participated in 22 out of 28 matches. He has never experienced this level of engagement, so we are on the right path.”

While Eze may be concerned about his recent lack of playing time, his Arsenal teammate and fellow summer signing Noni Madueke has seen even fewer minutes. The £50 million recruit has made only 13 appearances this season, often overshadowed by Trossard and Bukayo Saka.

When the issue of Eze and Madueke’s limited playtime potentially hindering their chances for inclusion in England’s World Cup squad was raised, Arteta dismissed this narrative. He suggested that both players have opportunities to improve their chances for first-team action.

“From whom? They need to be prepared as they have been, and when the opportunity arises, they must perform like any other player,” he asserted. “This is no different from others. There have been times when they played every three days, and at times, they played excessively. Noni has also faced injuries, and we need to manage his workload. With Ebs, although we’ve had some great moments together, there are areas requiring improvement. We are on that journey. The positive aspect is their eagerness. Witnessing their dedication and desire to contribute to the team and influence games is remarkable. That is the mentality they must maintain.”

Eze, who has contributed five goals and four assists for Arsenal this season, will be eager to secure some game time when Arteta’s side takes on struggling Bournemouth this Saturday evening. Given the busy fixture schedule ahead, it seems likely that he will see increased playing time soon.