Piero Hincapie was brought to Arsenal on the premise that Eberechi Eze would play left wing; however, that hasn’t quite worked out yet.
Overall, Eze has been rather disappointing at Arsenal and has found himself stuck on the bench for the last three Premier League matches.
Fill in the blank: Right now, I feel ____________ about Eberechi Eze’s lack of game time at Arsenal…
Since his hat-trick against Tottenham in the North London derby, the 27-year-old has struggled to find his place in the team and has now been dropped by Mikel Arteta.
Right now, it feels like a ploy from the Arsenal manager to kick Eze into gear, but his performances in the first six months have been subpar.
Andrea Berta brought Eze to Arsenal with the view to playing him on the left and having Hincapie as the player behind him at left-back, but those plans haven’t quite happened yet.
Arsenal hoped Eberechi Eze and Piero Hincapie would forge a connection
Arsenal signed Eberechi Eze and Piero Hincapie with the vision of using the pair down the left side, according to James McNicholas.
Berta moved late to sign Eze and Hincapie in the summer window, and the duo were actually signed partly to play as a pair.
But, of course, with Eze struggling to break into the team and Leandro Trossard making the left wing his own, that hasn’t been the case.
McNicholas told Arsecast: “One is that when he (Hincapie) signed, one thing that I heard was that the deal was done partly, kind of on the premise that or the expectation that Eze would be playing quite a lot on the left-hand side.
You have £45m to spend on a defender, do you pay for Piero Hincapie or sign someone else?
“So it was seen that there might be a relationship between those two, and ultimately that hasn’t really come to pass, to be honest.”
Arteta wanted Hincapie’s versatility and to be another option in defence, with the Ecuadorian proving to be a really pivotal signing.
Whilst Arsenal’s defence has been undergoing an injury crisis, Hincapie has remained fit and been an important option for the Gunners.
But there is sure to be frustration at the Emirates Stadium that the duo haven’t really had the chance to click just yet.
Mikel Arteta’s plan for Eberechi Eze at Arsenal is clear
Right now, it feels like Arteta’s plan is to motivate Eze by showing he must earn his place in the team at Arsenal.
The Spanish coach demands a lot from his players, with his attackers needing to show a willingness to help the team defend.
Ever since his mistake of failing to stop Matty Cash from scoring during the defeat at Aston Villa, Eze has failed to get on the pitch in the Premier League.
At Crystal Palace, Eze was the main man and would be the team regardless, but at Arsenal, the levels are different and the winger must work harder for the team.
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