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Eberechi Eze’s day at the City Ground couldn’t have gone much worse today really.
Despite being given a start down the left-hand side, Eze failed to produce anything of note as Arsenal dominated possession in the first-half.
In the end, Eze was taken off at half-time. And to make matters worse, his replacement, Noni Madueke, ended up bagging the winner to snatch the three points for the Gunners.
Right now, it very much feels like Eze is having a period where he feels a bit lost as an Arsenal player.
And according to Ian Wright and Roy Keane, there’s only one man who can change things.
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Noni Madueke is the matchwinner on the day for Arsenal against Nottingham Forest 😅 Give us your reaction to that performance
Naturally, Eze’s performance and half-time withdrawal was the subject of plenty of studio talk at full-time.
With Madueke getting the winner, it only highlighted Eze’s display more and while discussing the performance, both Ian Wright and Roy Keane agreed on what Eze needs to do.
“If I’m Eberechi Eze, I’m looking at Arteta and thinking I’m not going to be involved all the time, so I need to almost force it myself,” Wright commented.
“He needs to trying to influence the game and take things into his own hands. If I’m Eze and I’m coming off after 75% possession without a shot or a chance created, I’m not happy. For me, he’s got to look at that and think ‘I’m going to do something myself here and force it’. I’d rather be taken off by the manager for trying something and giving the ball away and being told that I’m doing that, rather than contributing nothing and still being taken off.”
Former United midfielder Keane agreed with Wright, insisting that Eze’s performance was indicative of his time at the club in general over the last few months.
Keane insisted that the top clubs have to have competition for places as he encouraged Eze to look at himself and take note of what Madueke offered when he came on.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter where he is being played, Ebere Eze has to give Arsenal a lot more than he did today.
Ian Wright mentioned body language too and this is something he also needs to work on. Eze looked sulky on the bench in that second 45 and the reality is he can’t have any complaints about being sat there.
We all know how good he can be. But Eze must recognise that he isn’t getting into the team in the middle over Martin Odegaard. It’s just that simple.
His role is going to be from wide areas and unless he can start to develop that side of his game more and produce, then he might well be moved on at some point.