Eberechi Eze (Arsenal) struggles for form: 1 goal in 9 games

Eberechi Eze at Arsenal is dealing with poor form, with one goal in nine appearances across all competitions. On Sunday, in the 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest, it was his first Premier League start of the season, but he was replaced at half-time after just nine passes and 22 touches.

The scrutiny ramps up after Arsenal failed to land a new world-class attacker in the transfer window, despite strong interest in Vinícius Jr and Julián Álvarez. This opened the door for Eze when summer signing Christos Tzolis—the preferred winger under Mikel Arteta—went out with a hamstring injury on international duty. Eze did score against Lille in the Champions League, but couldn’t repeat it vs Forest.

Former Arsenal and England defender Matt Upson argued that “finding his role and position has been challenging.” He added that when you don’t secure a clear spot, it’s “very very hard” to stay in the team, and suggested the current left-sided use doesn’t suit him.

Upson also pointed to Eze’s impact at Crystal Palace, including the winner in the FA Cup final in 2025 against Manchester City. Despite the concerns, this season’s per-90 figures look improved in areas like assists (0.25), goal contributions (0.50), shots on target (0.74), completed dribbles (1.98) and touches in the opposition box (5.95). Arsenal now face Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday.