Mikel Arteta Explains Ruthless Eberechi Eze Substitution Against Brentford

The third most expensive signing in Arsenal’s history has work to do.

Eberechi Eze was hooked at half-time on Thursday night. | Rob Newell/CameraSport/Getty Images

Mikel Arteta said he decided to withdraw Eberechi Eze at half time of Thursday’s 1–1 draw with Brentford because the £67.5 million ($91.9 million) recruit wasn’t causing “problems.”

Eze’s summer transfer to Arsenal was a dream homecoming for the boyhood fan released by the academy aged 13, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to justify his vast price tag.

Tasked with being Arsenal’s chief source of creativity at the Gtech Community Stadium, Eze touched the ball just 17 times, completed only nine passes (from 11 attempted), made no chances and had no shots—his combined xG and xA for one half of football for the league leaders stood at 0.02.

Arteta didn’t tear apart Eze’s performance, but he was blunt that the 27-year-old wasn’t playing to the standard required: “With the way [Brentford] were pressing, we needed another kind of profile to generate many more problems for them around those areas. [Martin Ødegaard] came on really well and the team had another gear and more threat to arrive in the areas we wanted to. That’s the decision.”

A hat-trick in the North London Derby in late November was a huge moment for Eze, but he hasn’t scored or assisted for Arsenal in any competition since three days after that highpoint. He had a spell out of the team altogether in December into January, sitting on the bench for four consecutive Premier League games—all wins—and Thursday was his first league start in two months.

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Eberechi Eze: Key Stats per 90 Minutes This Season

Statistic	Avg. per 90 Minutes
Goals	0.32
Expected Goals (xG)	0.20
Assists	0.16
Expected Assists (xA)	0.14
Big Chances Created	0.24
Touches in Opposition Box	3.42
Successful Dribbles	1.59

Stats via Fotmob, accurate as of Feb. 13, 2026.

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Overall, Arteta appears to be giving Eze the benefit of any doubts for now both as someone still just a few months into his Arsenal career and as a creative player facing a physical Brentford side.

“I think he had moments and it’s not easy when you move to a new club, it’s always like this,” Arteta offered. “When you play against a team like [Brentford], the ball is not on the floor a lot and you have to be constantly breaking the play. To do that, especially for attacking and creative players, is more difficult.”

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Arsenal Need Eze to Step Up

Ødegaard began the Brentford game on the bench after recent fitness issues, while Arsenal are to be without Kai Havertz for at least the next three fixtures and Mikel Merino for most, or all, of the rest of the season. It means there will be chances for Eze, with the Gunners in four competitions.

Ultimately, the former Crystal Palace star must begin delivering to reduce the demands on Ødegaard, at a time when Arsenal are potentially having to play every few days without dropping their level.

Aside from the club’s trophy pursuit—it’s six years since any major silverware found its way to the red half of north London and a 22-year wait for the Premier League title—Eze also has the 2026 World Cup with England becoming clearer on the horizon.

Based on current form, his place in that squad feels at risk.

Eze has rarely been out of the England setup since making his debut in June of 2023, even scoring off the bench in two of the last three World Cup qualifiers against Latvia and Serbia in October and November respectively. But there has been no international window since his dip in club form and whether Thomas Tuchel retains Eze anyway for next month’s warm-up friendlies against Uruguay and Japan is likely to be a big indicator as to his chances of making it to the final tournament.

There is significant competition for attacking places in the England squad. Cole Palmer hasn’t featured since June because of injuries in the first half of the season, while Ollie Watkins, Anthony Gordon and Morgan Gibbs-White did not play in November either. Even Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly, previously called up by Tuchel as a left back, is a threat to Eze given how he has suddenly been thriving in a more advanced role at club level in recent weeks.

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