Mikel Arteta could now use one of his newest recruits at Arsenal in a similar way to how Chelsea use Cole Palmer.
The Gunners had a busy summer transfer window, as Andrea Berta spent £250 million on eight new signings.
Viktor Gyokeres arrived for £63 million from Sporting CP, while the likes of Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze and Martin Zubimendi all joined for in excess of £50 million.
Arteta should now have a squad that is capable of competing on multiple fronts, and the Spaniard will be confident that he can lead his team to silverware.
Mikel Arteta could use Eberechi Eze like Chelsea use Cole Palmer
Arsenal signed Eze for £67.5 million over the summer.
There have been questions around how Arteta will use Eze to elicit the most out of the talented England international, with many sceptical about the player’s ability to operate out wide.
Eze struggled against Athletic Club when stuck out on the touchline, but produced encouraging displays against both Manchester City and Port Vale as an advanced eight.
However, with Martin Odegaard close to returning from injury, this position won’t be without serious competition.
Thus, it’s possible Arteta reverts to using Eze off the left, and this could still work extremely effectively if the tactician uses him in a specific way.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ broadcast of the Port Vale clash, former Tottenham midfielder Michael Brown suggested that Arteta could use Eze like Chelsea use Palmer on occasion.
“I don’t think it’s the end of the world [Eze playing off the left],” he said.
“We see Cole Palmer drift into the wide areas, and as the game builds up, he steps inside. In this Arsenal side, maybe not in the top games, they will have enough possession to get him in those areas, and he can come in unnoticed. I think he can do it, it’s not ideal, but it’s another option for Arteta.”
Chelsea often deploy Palmer off the right, although the former Manchester City man essentially plays in the right half-space rather than the touchline, with Malo Gusto creating the width outside of him.
Arteta could recreate this system with Riccardo Calafiori or Piero Hincapie driving down the line from left-back, while Eze comes inside to get involved in the game.
Declan Rice would therefore be able to play slightly deeper, next to Zubimendi, covering for the marauding full-back.
Eberechi Eze’s position won’t hinder him at Arsenal
Ultimately, wherever Eze plays he’s going to be a valuable squad member at Arsenal.
The creative midfielder has already scored and registered two assists in a red and white shirt, despite starting just three games across all competitions.
He’s good enough to regularly contribute in the final third, regardless of how far wide or how centrally he is deployed.
Whether he’s used as an eight or as a winger, he’ll likely naturally take up similar positions in between the lines on the left-hand side of the pitch.
That said, deploying an attacking, overlapping left-back behind him could certainly elevate his level.
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