Eberechi Eze has struggled for playing time at Arsenal over the winter period (PA Wire)
Jamie Redknapp believes Mikel Arteta is reluctant to turn to Eberechi Eze from the bench after Arsenal’s 3-2 victory against Bournemouth on Saturday.
Bournemouth took the lead after just 10 minutes when Gabriel Magalhaes’ wayward pass found Evanilson, who was left with an easy finish with David Raya out of his goal.
Gabriel equalised for Arsenal six minutes later before a second-half double from Rice put Mikel Arteta’s side in front
Junior Kroupi’s excellent strike set up a tense finish but Arsenal held on to go six points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.
Eze, meanwhile, has been left on the bench in Arsenal’s last four Premier League games and Mikel Arteta has faced questions as to why his £67.5m summer signing is not getting regular minutes.
Speaking after Arsenal’s victory over Bournemouth, Redknapp claimed that Arteta’s desire to close out games could mean that Eze may struggle for playing time if he is named as a substitute.
‘They’re bringing on Merino towards the end of the game and he’s [Arteta] not looking around to bring on Eze or Myles Lewis-Skelly to go and win the game 4-2 or 5-2,’ Redknapp told Sky Sports.
Eberechi Eze has been left as an unused sub in Arsenal’s last four Premier League games (PA Wire)
‘He’s [Arteta] thinking, ‘I want to keep hold of what I’ve got’, that’s the sort of manager he is, I don’t think he’s going to be that expansive.’
Meanwhile, Paul Merson likened Arsenal’s current squad depth to what Sir Alex Ferguson had during his peak years at Manchester United.
‘It’s the substitutions as well, they seem to just grind teams down, I thought they ground Villa down last week and I think today they did,’ Merson said.
‘When you watched the first half, Declan Rice every time he got it someone was on him, had his head down, whoever was in midfield, but when you look at his goals no one was near him and they dictated the game, second half they had more composure, Bournemouth players didn’t get near the midfield three in the second half, first half they were all over them like a rash.
‘Their squad is so strong, it’s so, so strong. The three substitutions that came on remind me of the old Sir Alex Ferguson Man United teams. I played in a Villa game once against Man United and I think they brought on Van Nistelrooy, Scholes and Giggs and you’re like, ‘oh really’.
‘He [Arteta] has got to get it right though, I thought it was a game for Saka to start, for me, difficult away ground to go to but they come out with flying colours, again, it wasn’t vintage but they’re six points clear at the top.’
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