Why Eberechi Eze has struggled to find form at Arsenal

Eberechi Eze produced a subdued performance for Arsenal in their 1-0 Premier League win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday, his first Premier League start of the season, and was substituted at half-time after completing nine passes and registering 22 touches. The display, combined with one goal in nine appearances in all competitions for Arsenal, has intensified scrutiny of his role in Mikel Arteta's side.

Eze arrived at Arsenal known for off-the-cuff skill, a maverick approach and an entertaining style that has regularly drawn praise from fans, but those traits have been less visible recently. The forward is well liked within both the Arsenal and England squads, and Thomas Tuchel referenced how Eze was "coming back to his true shape and form" in training during the last international break. Despite that, his output so far this season — one goal in nine appearances — has left observers questioning how he fits into the team.

Sunday's half-time removal, after just nine passes and 22 touches, followed earlier concerns about his consistency; he was criticised for switching off when Matty Cash scored Aston Villa's opener in their 2-1 win in December 2025 and, after starting the following game, was left on the substitute's bench for the next four league matches. Those episodes have fed debate over whether Eze can reproduce the sort of performances that earned him his move to Arsenal.

Arsenal's inability to sign a new world-class attacker during the transfer window — despite reported interest in Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr and Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez — left the squad without a fresh marquee forward. Instead, the club signed Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge; Tzolis had been Arteta's first-choice winger this season until he picked up a hamstring injury on international duty. Tzolis's absence created an opportunity for Eze, who scored on a start on the left wing against Lille in the Champions League, but he could not build on that performance against Nottingham Forest.

Former Arsenal and England defender Matt Upson warned that Eze has struggled to establish a defined role since his move. "I think that finding his role and position has been challenging," Upson said. "And when you come to a club with the stature and the quality of Arsenal, if you're not showing that you're nailing down a certain role, I think it's very very hard to maintain a position in the team. "He's now filling in a bit on the left-hand side, which I don't think particularly suits him, but he's had to. "He doesn't play like a wide player for me and I think just knowing your role when you're at a club like Arsenal is so important."

Upson pointed to Eze's previous high-end moments as context for expectations, recalling his decisive goals at Crystal Palace, including the winner in the FA Cup final against Manchester City in 2025. "I think all the high-end stuff that we saw from him which made him a player that Arsenal were going to go and target, that's the icing on the cake," said Upson. "It's almost a process for him if he wants to kind of grow into starting more matches for Arsenal," he added. "I think figuring that out is really important and having that level of intensity, which I think has been an adjustment for him from where he's come from - into a big club, with a manager that they don't come more intense than really."

Statistical context shows Eze has nonetheless received significant game time: Arsenal played 63 matches last season and Eze started 36 of those (57%). Since his debut for Arsenal in August 2025 he has started in 56% of games (40 out of 72). His 11 goals in 61 appearances for the club have come across just eight matches, and he has produced notable moments including five goals against Tottenham Hotspur across two Premier League matches — a run that included a hat-trick in the home fixture — plus winners against Newcastle and his former club Crystal Palace as the Gunners won the title.

There are signs in per-90 metrics that Eze's contributions this season are, in some areas, higher than last term: assists 0.25, goals and assists combined 0.50, shots on target 0.74, dribbles completed 1.98 and touches in the opposition box 5.95. On expectations within the squad, Mikel Arteta said: "We have some really good players and the expectations are so big for all of them," Arteta said. "And we want more from everybody. That is the mindset. "That is what is going to make us better individually and as a team. I hope that continues as it is going to push all of us to reach different kind of levels and develop."

Arsenal's next confirmed fixture is against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday (20:00 BST). That match is the next competitive opportunity mentioned for the squad in the article.