Ian Wright believes Eberechi Eze will be 'devastated' after he was subbed off at half-time during Arsenal's win at Nottingham Forest. Eze was handed his first Premier League start of the season as reigning champions Arsenal visited the City Ground to face struggling Forest. But the former Crystal Palace star was hooked at half-time and his replacement, Noni Madueke, scored Arsenal's winner on 80 minutes.
Wright's Verdict on Eze's Display
Arsenal legend Wright believes Eze will be 'devastated' not to have grasped his opportunity against Forest and says it looks unlikely that the £60m signing will be a regular in Mikel Arteta's starting line-up again this season. Eze helped Arsenal win the Premier League and reach the Champions League final in his first season at the Emirates Stadium but has underwhelmed individually.
'It's very tough for him at the minute,' Wright said on Sky Sports when asked about Eze's underwhelming display at Nottingham Forest. 'Eze is more of a movements players, he likes to come in-field but it's going to be very tough for him to get in the team in those positions. It looks like he's going to be on the left-hand side but he needs players around him.
'He wants to be more central and looks isolated on the left, it's not using his main skills. But if I'm him, I would just have a go. It looks like he won't be one of the main first-teamers, the same with [Viktor] Gyokeres and [Noni] Madueke, so at least have a real go.'
Substitution and Manager's Explanation
'Looking at the first-half, we started thinking that he would get taken off. I didn't think it would be at half-time though. He must be devastated. I would prefer the manager to take me off because I'm trying things rather than have nothing to show for it. He didn't really do anything, I think he should just go for it and force the issue because it looks like the manager might not pick him anyway. With Eze's ability and what he's capable of, it's on him, but at the moment it feels tough for him, you can see it's not happening for him.'
Discussing Arsenal's performance more generally, Wright added: 'We didn't get enough from our front guys in the first half, but one thing you can be sure of from Arsenal is we will keep going. You're hoping that Forest will crack, and in the end it was a deflected goal. Arsenal know how to win these games.'
Eze scored in Arsenal's Champions League win over Lille during the week but his Premier League struggles continued at Forest. Asked why Eze was subbed off at half-time, Arteta said in his post-match press conference: 'The way they [Forest] were defending. Three days ago, he scored a goal and he should have scored three, and we are all happy. So this is football. That's why you need fresh legs, a different profile and to try different things.'
League Standings and Next Fixtures
A hard-fought win at the City Ground sees Arsenal move three points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City after seven games, while Nottingham Forest slip into the relegation zone. Next up for Arsenal is a Champions League clash against Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, while Forest return to action next Friday against Ipswich Town.
