Arsenal star Eberechi Eze appears to have had a tough afternoon against Fulham, but Mikel Arteta believes it didn’t take him long to analyze his performance in a different way.
Mikel Arteta believes Eberechi Eze’s performance against Fulham would have been viewed differently had Victor Gokeres taken advantage of his goal-scoring chances. The former Crystal Palace star endured some difficult moments during the win against the Cottages as the spaces were often congested.
Still, Arteta has been impressed with Eze’s contributions to Arsenal so far, despite the midfielder failing to find the back of the net outside of the Carabao Cup since arriving in the summer. The 27-year-old has contributed just two assists so far.
Eze joined the Gunners in August in a deal worth up to £67.5m as Arsenal look to strengthen their attacking options. Eze started as number three in Arsenal’s midfield match against Fulham when Martin Odegaard was absent due to injury.
Leandro Trossard’s only goal in the 58th minute tied the teams, with Arteta’s side giving their opponents few chances. Eze was substituted minutes later after a tough afternoon.
But Arteta believes his summer arrival still brings much to the table, praising his versatility and suggesting that had Gokeres been able to seize the opportunities presented to him, perceptions might have been different.
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Asked about Eze’s performance against Fulham, Arteta said: “He’s used to attacking open spaces and breaks and carrying the ball with space in front of him. He’s very good at that and he’s comfortable doing it.”
“He had some good moments today, he put Victor through once or twice in really good space. If that had been a goal, it might have been a little different. But I’m very happy with what he’s doing and we can use him in another position. We used him in that position today and we can continue to aim to improve.”
Arteta also had kind words for Arsenal’s winner Trossard. The Belgian scored from close range as Arsenal once again demonstrated their set-piece ability.
The Spanish coach emphasized Trossard’s instincts. “He has the quality to create moments of magic when the team needs it most and the instinct to be in the right place at the right moment. That is a great quality for the team and a great weapon for us,” Arteta said.
“So I’m really happy. I think he’s been in very, very good form over the last few weeks. And a lot of our players are in a very high emotional state and performance level right now. It’s really good to see that.”
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