Despite the result, there was disappointment among fans for the muted display of Arsenal‘s £67.5m summer signing Eze, whose much-anticipated European debut became one to forget.The English forward was handed a starting role on the left of attack, but the England international barely got a kick. Pinned to the touchline and starved of service, Eze spent most of thefirst half chasing shadows before being replaced by scorer Martinelli.
On punditry duty for TNT Sport McCoist didn’t hold back. He claimed the tactical set-up left Eze hamstrung and placed the blame squarely on Arsenal’s own structure.
“He’s on the left side there for Arsenal. Eze hasn’t been in this game. And he wasn’t much of a factor at the weekend against Forest either,” commentator Darren Fletcher said.
“No, I don’t think you’re wrong there, and I know what you’re hinting at there, perhaps there should be a wee change here,” McCoist responded. “Well, it’s amazing, the position that [Riccardo] Calafiori takes up. My point is that the position Calafiori takes up, when he moves into that left side, that’s where Eze should be, I think, he’s more suited to picking the ball up there on the half turn.”
McCoist’s criticism centred on Calafiori’s inverted role. With the Italian full-back tucking infield, Eze was denied the overlapping support he thrives on. Instead of drifting into pockets of space, he was marooned wide, unable to influence the game in areas where he could hurt the opposition. But so far, Arteta’s system appears to be shackling his natural instincts rather than unleashing them. Instead of drifting centrally to dictate play, Eze is being asked to hug the line, a role that nullifies his best attributes. Unless Arteta finds a way to tweak his system, Arsenal risk turning one of England’s most exciting talents into a bystander.
With Manchester City looming in the Premier League on Sunday, Arteta faces a big call. Does he persist with Eze out wide, hoping the player adapts, or does he remodel the left flank to get his big-money man firing? An overlapping full-back could be the answer, giving Eze freedom to drift inside and operate in the dangerous half-spaces. Without that adjustment, Arsenal may struggle to justify their summer splurge.
