Eberechi Eze hasn’t been playing much at all recently at Arsenal, but that’s far from the whole story.
Eze has been an unused substitute for the last four Premier League games, and fans are growing concerned.
Arsenal’s summer signing scored a hat-trick against Tottenham in the North London Derby back in November, and ever since, he’s played only 203 Premier League minutes.
Watching from the outside, many supporters think Eze has the right to question his lack of game time, but the Arsenal manager has a completely different view.
Fill in the blank: Right now, I feel ____________ about Eberechi Eze’s lack of game time at Arsenal…
Mikel Arteta reminds fans of one crucial detail about Eberechi Eze’s game time at Arsenal
Mikel Arteta took part in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports ahead of Arsenal’s blockbuster meeting with Liverpool.
Unsurprisingly, Arteta was asked about Eze, which is when he reminded fans of one unspoken narrative behind his playmaker’s recent lack of game time.
“Ebz has played more games with us now than he’s ever played before January,” Arteta declared.
Having missed the last four of Arsenal’s Premier League fixtures, Arteta’s words seem unbelievable, but the numbers support his claim.
Will Eberechi Eze be a starter at Arsenal by the end of the 2025/26 season?
As you can see, Eze has played significantly more matches this season than he had in years prior.
From the outside looking in, Eze’s omission from the matchday action has been startling, but the reality is, he’s ahead of schedule.
How Arteta deals with Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke concerns
Despite playing more for club and country this season than in years prior, Eze still won’t be satisfied with his recent playing time.
When speaking to Sky Sports, Arteta acknowledged that, naturally, some players find rotation difficult, revealing how he deals with those situations.
“If they have any doubts, you have to give them clarity,” Arteta said, referring to Noni Madueke and Eze.
“Paint the context of the reason why they are here and the way they are contributing.”
To the delight of fans, Arteta confirmed that both players are handling things very well.
“They’ve been incredibly good to handle and to manage because they want it so badly.”
From now on, there’s a hope that the desire to play will translate into searing form once the summer signings get more of a platform to shine, which is only good news for Arsenal.
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