Ebere Eze was re-elected on the bench for Arsenal’s game against Wolves, with Paul Merson sending brutal message
Ebele Eze was once again snubbed by Mikel Arteta, with Bukayo Saka starting as Arsenal’s number 10 against Wolves (Image: (Photo by Andrew Kearns – CameraSport via Getty Images))
Paul Merson has handed down a brutal verdict on Ebele Eze Arsenal, favoring Bukayo Saka against Wolves in the Premier League. Other than his hat-trick in the North London derby, the summer signing has struggled to find consistent minutes and form, and this continued in the trip to Molineux.
Eze had a very impressive performance in last Sunday’s FA Cup fourth round match against Wigan, scoring two assists. However, in the 1-1 draw against Brentford earlier in the week, he was caught at half-time and was replaced by Martin Odegaard, who immediately made an impact.
Odegaard is currently injured, but Eze was only named on the bench against Wolves, as Saka started as number 10, as he did against Wigan. Merson shared his thoughts on the decision and Eze’s thoughts on the snub.
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He told Sky Sports: “That was Wigan. I don’t mean any disrespect. This is the Premier League. I don’t understand it. It’s a difficult position to play. People think they can go wherever they want.”
“You’re the one who has to make things happen. There’s a lot of pressure on you. If this doesn’t go well tonight, all eyes will be on the number 10.
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“With Wolves’ style of play, he won’t have a lot of space. He’ll get more space on the wing. If I were Eze, I’d think: ‘Am I going to play a lot for Arsenal this season?’
“I thought they were bringing in Eze as an X-factor, but his ball against Wigan the other day was the eye of a needle and he was number 10 to make things happen.
“He can play that ball, he has it inside him and he’s played there a lot more than Saka and like I said, it’s not a position to just throw someone into.
Bukayo Saka was preferred for the number 10 role over Ebere Eze (Image: Ryan Browne/Shutterstock)
“I hope Saka gets a hat-trick, but it’s a difficult position where you can’t just throw someone in and say, ‘Come and have fun.’
“On the wing, he’s always looking that way (forward). When you’re playing 10, you have everything behind you. It’s a different game. You need eyes in the back of your head to flick the ball away. I hope I’m wrong, but I expect it to be difficult for him tonight.”
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Saka justified his inclusion just minutes later when he slotted in Declan Rice’s cross to score the opening goal.
Meanwhile, Eze has faced increased demands off the ball in recent months, drawing criticism from Arteta and his Arsenal team-mates. However, the Arsenal manager was quick to praise his performance in a deep midfield role.
He said: “Obviously there were some great goals and I think the intentions he had and the risks he took in the final third and the number of shots he tried to take. I think that’s a really positive thing and that’s what I want from him.”
With Mikel Merino and Kai Havertz also absent, Eze is likely to be given more minutes, but Saka’s consent suggests the former Crystal Palace man is not yet fully trusted by Arteta.
Havertz, Rice and several others need time to adapt at the Gunners, and it looks like Eze will need the same.
