Former Arsenal star Paul Merson has questioned whether Eberechi Eze can turn his career around at the Emirates.

The 28-year-old was hauled off at halftime against Nottingham Forest at the weekend, and Merson says that Eze may simply not be suited to playing for a club the size of Arsenal:

“I’ve played for big teams, and I’ve played for teams that weren’t big – it’s a different game. Eberechi Eze is a prime example. It’s so, so different…

“I’ve seen him try to nutmeg people on the edge of his own box at Crystal Palace and lose the ball, but it’s alright. That’s no disrespect to Palace, but it’s just different playing for a big team.”

“The pressure is on week in, week out at Arsenal. They can win at Forest, and they’ll still get criticised by people like me. That’s the difference…”

“The lad can play. He’s a lovely player, but I don’t know if he’ll be lovely for Arsenal. I don’t know if he’ll get the chance because as soon as he doesn’t do well, he’s off. Arsenal have too many players on the bench, so it’s easy to take him off. That’s the problem.”

Eze’s record since moving to Arsenal

The England international has scored 7 league goals following his switch to the Gunners last year. However, those contributions have come in just four games.

Eze got a hat-trick and a brace in two matches against North London rivals Tottenham last season. He also found the back of the net against his former club, Crystal Palace, and Newcastle. He has failed to score in the Premier League so far this campaign.

Eze can’t find a place in the starting lineup

Another key factor to consider is where Eze has played. Manager Mikel Arteta has picked him on the left wing and as a no.10, but he has failed to nail down either spot.

As we saw against Forest, Eze doesn’t really have the pace or acceleration to really do any damage on the wing. When he replaces Martin Odegaard in more central areas, he looks a lot more comfortable, but there are still concerns about his consistency and ability to impact the game when compared to the club captain.