Alan Shearer Delivers Blunt Assessment of Arsenal's £67.5m Signing
Premier League record goalscorer Alan Shearer has delivered a scathing critique of Arsenal's £67.5 million signing Eberechi Eze, suggesting the Gunners performed better without their expensive summer acquisition during Thursday's 1-1 draw with Brentford. The England legend expressed surprise at Eze's dramatic downturn in form, describing his recent performances as "remarkable" in their decline.
Arsenal's Title Ambitions and Squad Concerns
Despite Arsenal enjoying a four-point lead over Manchester City with twelve Premier League games remaining and positioning themselves as Champions League favorites after eight consecutive group stage victories, Shearer believes manager Mikel Arteta has "one or two things he needs to iron out" during the crucial final stretch of the season. The Gunners, who haven't secured a league title since 2004, remain active across all competitions, including an upcoming Carabao Cup final against Manchester City and an FA Cup fourth-round match against Wigan Athletic this Sunday.
Shearer specifically highlighted Eze's struggles as a significant concern for Arteta's squad. The 27-year-old midfielder, who joined Arsenal from Crystal Palace amid much fanfare last summer, has contributed just five goals since his high-profile transfer, with three of those coming from a hat-trick in the season's first north London derby. Eze has increasingly found himself relegated to the bench in recent weeks and was substituted at halftime during the Brentford match.
Shearer's Detailed Criticism of Eze's Performance
"The situation with Eze against Brentford was surprising a bit because he seems lost or at least he did in that game," Shearer told Betfair. "He took him off at half time and they got a little bit better. They put more pressure on Brentford and then they got the goal."
The former England striker contrasted Eze's current form with his initial impact at Arsenal, noting: "The way he sort of walked out full of confidence in that Arsenal stadium when he got his move and he looked as if he was a natural fit and belonged there. But he looked lost against Brentford. He looked as if he needed the world to swallow him up. He didn't look comfortable at all."
World Cup Implications for England International
Shearer warned that Eze's club struggles could have serious consequences for his international career, potentially costing him a place in Thomas Tuchel's England squad for this summer's World Cup. The midfielder has earned 16 caps for his country, scoring three times, and was widely expected to feature in the tournament squad.
"He won't be in the England squad if he's not going to be playing," Shearer stated bluntly. "I think that was his first start from mid-December last year as well. He's hardly had any starts and that has to change if he's going to get in the England squad."
Arteta's Perspective on Eze's Adaptation
When questioned about his decision to substitute Eze at halftime against Brentford, Arteta explained: "Because with the way, especially that they were pressing, I think we needed another kind of profile to generate many more problems for them around those areas." The Arsenal manager acknowledged the challenges of adapting to a new club, adding: "Well, I think he had moments and it's not easy when you move to a new club. It's always like this, and when you play against a team that is like this and the ball is a lot of times not on the floor and you have to be constantly breaking the play and do that, especially for attacking and creative players, it's more difficult."
As Arsenal prepare for their FA Cup match against League One strugglers Wigan Athletic, who recently suffered a 6-1 defeat to Peterborough United, the spotlight remains firmly on Eze's ability to justify his substantial transfer fee and secure his place in both Arsenal's starting lineup and England's World Cup plans.
