'His time is running out' - Eberechi Eze could already be finished at Arsenal as expert shares 'harsh truth'

Eberechi Eze has failed to ease growing concerns about his displays since he joined Arsenal from Crystal Palace last summer.

The 28-year-old has struggled to make his mark at the Emirates Stadium since making the £70million switch, and it remains unclear where he fits into Mikel Arteta's side.

He was given the opportunity to start against Nottingham Forest last time out, but failed to impress and was taken off at half-time in a damning indictment of his display.

Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown warned Football Insider that Eze's time at Arsenal may be running out as he contiues to struggle despite an abundance of opportunities.

So far this season, the England international has started just four of his nine appearances, only one of which came in the league, and may have lost the trust of Arteta.

That has now raises questions about Eze's long-term future at Arsenal and whether he will be able to work his way back into the manager's plans any time soon.

Why are Arsenal concerned about Eberechi Eze?

Brown told Football Insider last month that Arsenal have "serious" concerns about Eze's place in the squad after a string of disappointing performances under Arteta.

Since then, he has shown little improvement, and his struggles look set to continue amid question marks surrounding his long-term role in the side.

After his early substitution against Nottingham Forest, those worries at Arsenal have only grown, and there are now questions being asked about his place under Arteta.

"The harsh truth of it is that Eberechi Eze has been nowhere near good enough," Brown told Football Insider.

"He's had a couple of outstanding performances since he joined Arsenal, but he's never quite been able to put himself in a position where you say he has to start games.

"It looks to me like Arteta doesn't quite know what to do with him, because he's not effective out wide, and he's not been performing when he's in the midfield either.

"I think the biggest issue for him is that the way he plays the game, he can often go missing, and you can't afford to do that in this Arsenal side.

"I know what he can do at his best, and he can be devastating, but how many times have we seen that for Arsenal? Not as many as they would have hoped.

"So there are some big worries for Arsenal, and I get the feeling that his time is running out, because how long can he go without taking the chances he's being given?"

Why was Eze dragged off against Nottingham Forest?

The latest concerns surrounding Eze's performances have come in the wake of his side's 1-0 win against Nottingham Forest, where he was dragged off at half time.

The 28-year-old started on the left of the Gunners' attack at the City Ground but was substituted in favour of Noni Madueke, who went on to score the winning goal.

Football Insider reported on 19 October that Eze's performance against Forest means he should now be fearing for his place in the side, and certainly in the starting XI.

Of his 13 attempted passes, he misplaced four and was dispossessed twice, losing four duels, while his relaxed demeanor saw him fade into the background when he needed to step up.

Arsenal, meanwhile, remain keen to sign a new left-winger in the January transfer window after failing in the summer, and that could force Eze futher down the pecking order.