BBC pundit shares why he’s ‘disappointed’ with one Arsenal player after what he did vs Portsmouth
Mark Schwarzer was disappointed with the efforts of Eberechi Eze, despite Arsenal’s convincing victory over Portsmouth on Sunday.
Arsenal beat Portsmouth 4-1 at Fratton Park, despite having gone behind after just three minutes when Colby Bishop scored.
The Gunners would turn the game on its head quickly through back-to-back goals from corners, before Gabriel Martinelli completed his hat-trick with a double in the second half.
Eze was criticised after Arsenal’s draw with Liverpool, and the midfielder looked to have a point to prove on Sunday.
The England international enjoyed a long run in the team when Martin Odegaard was injured, but the Arsenal captain’s return has coincided with a stint on the bench for Eze.
Eberechi Eze fails to take chance vs Portsmouth
Sunday’s clash was a real chance for Eze. Mikel Arteta made 10 changes to the team that drew with Liverpool, and he will have a decision to make for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea.
Odegaard has been in strong form in recent weeks, but the Norway international could not help his team find the breakthrough on Thursday.
| Eberechi Eze | Vs Portsmouth |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Shots | 2 |
| Accurate passes | 27/32 |
| Recoveries | 2 |
| Duels won | 2/4 |
That left Eze with a real chance to storm ahead in his manager’s thinking, but the performance at Fratton Park lacked the killer touch.
The 27-year-old took two shots but failed to create a single chance, completing only five passes into the final third in 90 minutes of action.
Incredibly, despite only being on the pitch for 21 minutes, Odegaard managed to create three chances for his teammates – a damning indictment of Eze’s showing.
Speaking to BBC 5 Live on Sunday, former Fulham and Chelsea goalkeeper Schwarzer said: “I’m a little bit disappointed with Eberechi Eze.
“He is such a good player and this is a game where it is perfectly set up for him to really dominate and he hasn’t.
“A player of his quality, having a free role in the middle of the park, should be taking control of this game more.”
What is going wrong for Eze at Arsenal?
The start to Eze’s Arsenal career had been fairly slow, but superb performances against Newcastle United, Tottenham and Crystal Palace proved his value.
Odegaard’s injury had left all of the responsibility on the England international, and he responded, helping the Gunners to strengthen their place at the top of the Premier League.
But it is also true that, as Sam Blitz pointed out on X, Eze was playing to a far more frequent level than he has across each of his last three seasons.
There is no doubt that the midfielder has struggled in recent weeks, but it should be considered that Arteta may well be prioritising the option of having him available for selection as the run-in intensifies.