Eze Hooked at Half-Time as Arsenal's Win over Forest Sounds Alarm for the £60 Million Man

Arsenal's narrow 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Sunday (18/10/2026) left a bitter story for Eberechi Eze. The £60 million attacking midfielder had to accept being withdrawn at half-time, a decision Ian Wright believes will leave a deep wound for the player.

Eze had in fact been trusted by Mikel Arteta to fill the Premier League starting XI for the first time this season. However, he failed to make a meaningful impact as Arsenal struggled to break down Forest's packed defense in the opening 45 minutes. Arteta did not hesitate to replace him with Noni Madueke, who then became the hero with a goal in the 80th minute.

The decision was not merely an ordinary tactical substitution. For Eze, it is a stark signal that his position in Arteta's scheme is not yet secure. Since arriving from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2025, he has indeed still been fighting for regular minutes. Martin Odegaard's return to top form in the number 10 role has further narrowed Eze's space in his favorite area, forcing him to adapt on the left wing, which is clearly not his natural habitat.

Ian Wright, a former Arsenal striker now working as a pundit, acknowledged that Eze's situation is indeed not easy. Speaking to Sky Sports, he judged that Eze's placement on the left wing left the player isolated and unable to make the most of his best abilities. “The situation is very difficult for him at the moment,” Wright said, as quoted by Football365.

“I would rather the manager take me off because I am trying to do something than show nothing. In my view, he has to be braver and force the play because right now it seems the manager may not necessarily pick him either,” Wright said.

Wright had even suspected Eze would be withdrawn after watching the first-half performance. However, he did not expect Arteta to make the decision so quickly. In his view, Eze must be very disappointed. Nevertheless, Wright advised Eze not to dwell on the disappointment and instead to be braver in taking the initiative in every opportunity given.

The pressure on Eze is not only about minutes but also about proving his quality. Wright stressed that Eze has the ability to give more to Arsenal, but that quality must be shown on the pitch. So far, his performances have not met expectations, and competition in Arsenal's attack is getting tighter with the presence of Madueke as well as Viktor Gyokeres, who is also not yet a first-choice pick.

For Arteta, the decision to withdraw Eze proved correct because Madueke immediately scored the winning goal. However, in the long term, managing minutes will be a test for Arteta in maintaining the morale of expensive players like Eze. If this situation continues, it is not impossible that Eze will look for a way out in the next transfer window.

The question now is: will Eze be able to rise and win back Arteta's trust, or will he sink further on the bench? The Arsenal public certainly hopes the player can soon find his best form, because his quality is beyond doubt.