Arsenal are the reigning Premier League champions and they are the overwhelming favourites to retain their crown, in part thanks to Manchester City’s looming punishment for 114 financial breaches.

Mikel Arteta’s side are currently second in the English top flight table, having picked up 18 points from their opening seven fixtures, with City the only team ahead of them after recording seven wins from seven matches.

Enzo Maresca has enjoyed a sublime start to life in the Etihad Stadium dugout, but City are widely expected to receive a severe sporting punishment before the end of the campaign, and Arsenal are therefore odds-on favourites to win the title with the bookies.

After a narrow 2-1 home win over Leeds United last weekend, the Gunners once again prevailed by a one-goal margin against Nottingham Forest on Sunday afternoon courtesy of a deflected effort from Noni Madueke in the 80th minute.

It was Arsenal’s only shot on target in the entire match and while they enjoyed 74% possession, Arteta’s team were largely ineffective in attack.

Forest, by contrast, carried immense threat in transition and they were unfortunate to be beaten, with Liam Delap and Murillo both going close with late efforts as Arsenal hung on to keep their seventh clean sheet of the season across all competitions.

Mikel Arteta has an Eberechi Eze problem

While Arteta deserves credit for the introduction of Madueke at half-time, with the England star catching the eye on the left flank, the Spaniard will be hugely concerned by the form of Eberechi Eze, who was the man hooked after 45 minutes.

At Crystal Palace, Eze was one of the most dynamic attackers in the Premier League. At Arsenal, he looks a shadow of his former self. In fact, it’s reminiscent of Jack Grealish’s change in fortunes upon leaving Aston Villa for Man City.

Eze looks devoid of any confidence, he is lacking the flair that made him so unpredictable in a Palace shirt, and he carries next to no goal threat.

While Arsenal signed Christos Tzolis to replace Leandro Trossard this summer, they were unable to land a successor to Gabriel Martinelli, with the club eventually deciding that Eze and Madueke were good enough to feature prominently on the left flank.

That should be true, but the former has never displayed his true potential in an Arsenal shirt.

Eze, whose Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) stands at just shy of €75 million, has a mere 18 goal contributions in 61 games for Arsenal, and he has only scored six goals in 59 matches against teams not named Tottenham Hotspur.

He has five goals in just two north London derby appearances, but his overall contribution at Arsenal simply hasn’t been good enough.

Eze remains one of the most talented forwards in the Premier League, however he has been unable to show this at Arsenal and if his form fails to improve, Arteta will be faced with a crucial transfer decision amid the club’s pursuit of a new superstar left winger.