Eberechi Eze was handed his first start for Arsenal in five matches against Portsmouth after what has been a tricky spell for the attacker.
Eze has seen himself drop out of the team at Arsenal following the return to form of Martin Odegaard, who has been electric over recent weeks.
Away at the Championship’s 21st-placed side, Eze was given the chance to prove himself to Mikel Arteta, but it didn’t quite go as planned.
Whilst Gabriel Martinelli netted a hat-trick and Ethan Nwaneri impressed Arsenal’s fans, Eze had a very quiet afternoon at Fratton Park.
Mikel Arteta won’t have been impressed by Eberechi Eze’s Arsenal performance
Mikel Arteta won’t have been best pleased by Eberechi Eze’s performance during Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Portsmouth in the FA Cup.
Over recent weeks, Arteta has left Eze on the bench for Arsenal, which will come as a big surprise to many supporters and has caused frustration over his minutes.
The Gunners’ supporters are keen for the winger to be handed more game time to give Odegaard the chance to have a rest.
But away at Pompey, the 27-year-old’s display highlighted why Arteta has not been so keen to rush him back into the team.
Fill in the blank: Right now, I feel ____________ about Eberechi Eze’s lack of game time at Arsenal…
Eze struggled to have much of an influence on the game, especially in the first half, managing just 39 touches and completing 27 passes in total.
But it was his lack of work off the ball which will have been a big factor behind his recent bench, and in the FA Cup clash, he didn’t manage a single defensive contribution.
Arteta has been quick to remind Arsenal fans that Eze has played more matches before Christmas than in any other season of his career so far.
The Gunners will be hoping that at some stage, Eze clicks back into gear, but he looked a shadow of himself on the South Coast on Sunday.
Mark Schwarzer was disappointed with Eberechi Eze
Mark Schwarzer has admitted that he was disappointed with Eze’s performance during the Gunners’ 4-1 win over Portsmouth.
The former Premier League goalkeeper says the 27-year-old did not make use of the free role in the middle of the pitch given to him by Arteta.
He told BBC Sport: “I’m a little bit disappointed with Eberechi Eze. He is such a good player and this is a game where it is perfectly set up for him to really dominate, and he hasn’t.
“A player of his quality, having a free role in the middle of the park, should be taking control of this game more.”
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