'Serious concern for Arsenal' - Expert names Arsenal star Arteta is struggling to unlock | OneFootball

Eberechi Eze’s early-season struggles are beginning to create a selection headache for Arsenal, with questions growing over whether Mikel Arteta’s current system is allowing the England international to play to his strengths. The 28-year-old is yet to start a Premier League match this season and has largely been used from the bench or pushed into a wider role.

That is a notable shift from his Crystal Palace days, when he was given far more freedom to drift centrally and influence attacks.

Arsenal are concerned about Eberechi Eze’s role

Eberechi Eze of Arsenal (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

According to Football Insider, former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown believes Arsenal are not getting the best version of Eze and that his role on the left wing is part of the problem.

Brown said:

“Eberechi Eze is starting to become quite a serious concern for Arsenal,”

He added:

“I don’t think it’s harsh to say we’re not seeing the same player there as we saw at Crystal Palace, but there are very clear reasons for that, and it’s not necessarily his fault.

“Arsenal have been playing him on the wing more often this season, and he’s never been a touchline winger, it’s not a position that allows him to maximise his talents.

“Plus, the way Arsenal play and set up isn’t best suited to his skillset either, there’s a lot of focus on just keeping the ball and it can be quite risk-averse.”

The numbers reinforce the sense that Eze has yet to fully settle. He has started just two matches in all competitions this season and has yet to score, while his Premier League involvement has totalled only 70 minutes across four games.

He also started Arsenal’s 1-0 Champions League win at Napoli but was replaced after 65 minutes, while the Gunners’ 4-2 Carabao Cup win over Ipswich saw Max Dowman and Noni Madueke provide the more eye-catching attacking moments.

The issues may be tactical, not individual

Eberechi Eze arriving for an Arsenal game (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Eze’s problem does not appear to be a sudden loss of ability.

At Palace, he was at his best when allowed to receive between the lines, carry the ball through central areas and take risks. Arsenal’s left-wing role is more structured and demands positional discipline, which naturally limits some of those instincts.

That creates a difficult situation for Arteta. Martin Ødegaard remains influential centrally, while Arsenal’s other midfield options make it hard to simply hand Eze his preferred position.

The solution may be flexibility rather than patience alone.

If Arsenal continue asking Eze to behave like a conventional touchline winger, they risk neutralising the qualities that made him such an attractive signing in the first place.

Finding ways to let him drift inside and attack space could be the key to turning an uncertain start into something far more productive.