Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has expressed his thoughts on struggling player Eberechi Eze after the Englishman was substituted at halftime against Brentford. The Gunners played out a 1-1 draw against a Brentford side that gave them serious trouble, and Eze failed to perform well in the game.
Mikel Arteta on Eberechi Eze's substitution
Arteta interacted with the media about the circumstances of the English midfielder, saying that the nature of the game made it tough for him to show his quality. He puts the struggles of the 27-year-old down to his adaptation to a new side, with him having only joined the Gunners last summer.
“It’s not easy when you move to a new club. It’s always like this. When you play against a team that is like this and the ball is a lot of times not on the floor and you have to be constantly breaking the play, especially for attacking and creative players, it’s more difficult", he said (via The Guardian).
Eberechi Eze was featured in the starting XI for Arsenal with Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino missing through injury and Martin Odegaard half -fit. The former Crystal Palace player was majorly a ball carrier for most of the first half as the Bees matched Arsenal stride for stride. Just like Aston Villa in December, he was taken off following the first half, with Odegaard replacing him on the pitch.
Eberechi Eze's average performance
Eze has started only three league matches since the beginning of December and has come off following the first half in two of those as he struggles to adjust with Arsenal's playing style. The England international failed to make any chance or attempt at Brentford as he struggled to change the game, touching the ball only 17 times.