Eberechi Eze’s Arsenal Debut Highlights Creativity Gap in Anfield Defeat

Why Eze Looks Vital as Arsenal Fall Short at Anfield

Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat to Liverpool wasn’t the debut Eberechi Eze dreamed of. Until just 20 minutes left of the game, Arsenal’s attack was crying for creativity. Creativity that Eze immediately offered once coming on in the 70th minute, even if it came too late to change the result.

The Gunners managed 28 touches in Liverpool’s box, compared to their 16. They also made more passes in the final third than Liverpool, who were forced to make 10 more clearances than Arsenal. But why couldn’t Arsenal turn chances into goals?

It wasn’t possession they lacked. It wasn’t control. It was invention. Invention to turn chances into goals. Arsenal struggled to carve openings and resorted to recycled phases rather than daring attacks. It didn’t help that captain Martin Odegaard was unable to start due to a shoulder injury in a dominant 5-0 win against Leeds last week.

However, all 3 points were snatched by Liverpool in the 83rd minute when Dominik Szoboszlai had a moment of brilliance and scored a 32-yard free kick. David Raya had no chance to stop the strike.

A 13-year-old Eze who was released by Arsenal academy, would have to wait 14 years for this moment. To wear that Arsenal shirt again, for the first team. The full circle was complete. Eze, Arsenal’s new number 10, made his debut for the club that he loves most.

His entrance was brief, but Arsenal fans saw a player who was willing to take risks and run at defenders. He came on for just 20 minutes, yet had only 2 touches less than Gabriel Martinelli, who played 70 minutes. A player who is struggling for form and could soon lose his spot in the starting 11 to Eze.

Eze brings unpredictability. He thrives on carrying the ball forward and creating chances out of nothing. Last season, Eze created 59 chances for Crystal Palace and had a total of 25 goal contributions across all competitions for the Eagles.

In a recent interview, Arteta stated that Eze had the same talent as former Arsenal players Tomas Rosicky and Santi Cazorla. The Arsenal boss also went on to emphasise that Eze is “Really bright,” and “Has special energy and a special aura around him.”

Without Odegaard and Eze, creativity is lacking. We saw this until the 70th minute today. No one who started was able to switch the tempo, and there was no real spark. There was no real threat, and Arsenal were punished for it as they failed to score.

Whilst Arsenal did not leave Anfield with any points, proof was shown that Eze will help the team to decide the outcome of a match. While he may not fix everything