Arsenal win games 1-0. That’s just what they do.
Since Mikel Arteta took over in December 2019, the Gunners have won 32 Premier League matches by that scoreline. It defies belief.
Yet, they have the best defence in the land so there’s no need to blow the opposition away, right? Well, despite their success last term, supporters have become frustrated.
It’s crazy, isn’t it? This is a side that has been victorious in ten of their 11 matches this term. However, something has to change in the final third.
That begins with Eberechi Eze.
The problem with Eberechi Eze
A year ago Eze had just signed for Arsenal in a mammoth £67.5m deal. Very few players have ever cost the Gunners more.
It was a fairy tale. The attacking midfielder had been spat out of the Hale End academy as a kid, a decision that left him crying in his room.
However, he proved everyone in Islington wrong by becoming a genuine Premier League star. During his final season with Crystal Palace, the England international scored 14 goals and supplied 12 assists in all competitions.
At Palace, he was a game-changer, a maverick. He was one of the most talented players in the Premier League. A big move was what he deserved. He returned to Arsenal.
To suggest Eze has been a terrible signing would be wrong. Last term there were moments where he made a tangible difference to the club’s title charge.
The hat-trick against Tottenham will never be forgotten. He scored a vital goal against Newcastle during the run-in too.
However, those moments have been far too infrequent and he’s now becoming a scapegoat for Arsenal’s lack of investment over the summer.
As Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard left, Arsenal tried and failed to get their hands on Morgan Rogers and Vinicius Junior. They did sign Christos Tzolis but he is now out injured. As a result, Eze has taken his place.
As good as Martin Odegaard has been this season, Eze should not be stuck on the left. Sadly, that is what has happened.
He proved, particularly against Nottingham Forest last weekend, that he is not good enough in that position. Eze has lost his spark; he’s lost his swagger.
Sure, he did score against Lille a week ago, but beyond that there has been very little to write home about. On Sunday, he was dragged off at half-time after failing to produce a key pass or shot at the City Ground. His lack of influence is a huge problem. Arsenal need more.
So, what’s the solution?
How Arsenal can replace Eze in the short term
The immediate answer to the problem is Noni Madueke.
It’s an unexpected one and it may not work for very long but the £52m signing now deserves a run in the team on that left flank.
Against Leeds United, Madueke started on that side of the pitch and arguably looked like Arsenal’s most vibrant attacking outlet. The 24-year-old registered four key pass and completed both of his dribble attempts.
Versus Lille, however, the former Chelsea man reverted to type. This time he was back on the right and he delivered a particularly poor display. He attempted 15 crosses but only one of them found its intended target.
It was a hugely frustrating display from someone Arsenal supporters have been begging to kick on.
Well, perhaps that time is now and perhaps it is on the left flank. With Eze out of form and Tzolis injured, Arteta must give him a run of games. Madueke’s performance in Nottingham last weekend showed he can transform a game. No one expected him to cut inside onto his weaker right foot but he took a gamble and with Arsenal’s only shot on target, he found the net via a deflection.
That said, we do have to acknowledge that he is unlikely to be a long-term option in that role.
How Arsenal can replace Eze in the long term
For a number of years Arsenal have needed to strengthen in this area of the pitch. It’s why they targeted Vini Jr and Co over the summer.
Well, they do have a number of top young players who could take Eze’s minutes. Max Dowman is making a splash again and will likely be the man to take over from Odegaard as well once he moves on.
Yet, not many fans will know that the Gunners did actually agree to sign another forward over the summer months. He goes by the name of Andria Bartishvili and he looks really rather special.
Speculation surrounding Bartishvili’s future had been rife over the summer and then when the window came to an end, just days after it slammed shut, Arsenal announced they had agreed a pre-contract deal to sign the 17-year-old when he turns 18 in 2027.
Hailing from Georgia, natural comparisons have already been made to the great Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. It’s clear to see why. The teenager has low, rolled-down socks; he’s exceptional in tight spaces, he’s quick and his ball manipulation is first-class. That’s not to mention his dribbling skills either.
Bartishvili currently plays his football on loan at Iberia in the Georgian top flight, and he’s making an impact already. He looks beyond his tender years, wise beyond his age, scoring two goals and supplying two assists in 17 matches. Of those matches, he has started 11.
If you’re looking for further comparisons, see the aforementioned Rogers. Arsenal’s incoming signing is certainly more slender and less physical but he operates in similar spaces, drifting in from the left channel. He’s an attacking midfielder by trade but he can also play out wide, hence he’d be the perfect player to replace Eze long-term.
What’s also eye-catching is that some who have watched Bartishvili in action believe he’s actually more similar to the iconic Kevin De Bruyne. Georgian football expert Saba Sapanadze told Football.London earlier this year: “One of his biggest strengths is his ability to break through midfield from central areas. In terms of style, I’d compare him more to Kevin De Bruyne.”
So, it looks like Arsenal have got their hands on a captivating young prospect here. Eze better watch out.
Source: www.footballfancast.com
