Legendary England Striker Baffled by Mikel Arteta's Decision Regarding Eberechi Eze

Legendary England striker Alan Shearer believes everything was in place for new signing Eberechi Eze to make an immediate starting debut for Arsenal.

The attacker had joined Arsenal a week earlier and quickly proved his abilities in training. With Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard absent, many expected him to be in the starting lineup.

Instead, Mikel Arteta only brought the former Crystal Palace player on late in the game when Liverpool were already leading, leaving Eberechi Eze with little time to make a meaningful impact. Eze was given 20 minutes to make his mark after coming on in place of Gabriel Martinelli.

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"I think you’ve got to be a little more pragmatic, a little bit more risky football… not risky, but more front-foot I guess,’ he added. They’re brilliant at set-pieces, we know that, and that’s what won them the game at Old Trafford on the first day of the season."

Alan Shearer added that their current approach was not going to win them all of those games, noting that their record against some of the big teams away from home was not very good.

He added that they might have to play with more risk and show greater bravery, as the results suggested. He further pointed out that when a club spends that much on a centre-forward, they are expected to provide him with the service needed to make a difference in the big games, especially away from home.

While Alan Shearer's criticism is understandable, there is also an argument for Mikel Arteta wanting to cautiously introduce Eberechi Eze into Arsenal's system.

Adapting to a new structure is always time-consuming, and the manager likely did not want to place too much pressure on the player's shoulders in such a high-stakes match.

Nevertheless, the decision has sparked debate, as most fans were eager to see the new signing on the pitch from the start. It is certain that Eberechi Eze will soon be given a more significant role, as Arsenal needs his creative solutions both in the league and on the European stage.