Former striker Jermain Defoe has criticised Eberechi Eze’s early influence at Arsenal following the club’s disappointing 1-1 draw with Brentford, raising fresh concerns about the midfielder’s adjustment in North London.
The result prevented Arsenal from restoring a six-point advantage at the summit of the Premier League title race, leaving their dominance under renewed scrutiny.
The dropped points became more damaging after Manchester City trimmed the gap to four points with victory over Fulham earlier in the week, intensifying pressure on Mikel Arteta’s squad as the season reaches a critical phase.
Attention quickly shifted to the English international of Nigerian descent, who struggled to impose himself during a subdued attacking display.
The former Crystal Palace star registered just 17 touches, highlighting a performance that failed to spark Arsenal’s forward momentum.
Defoe suggested the midfielder is yet to play with complete freedom, questioning his confidence and readiness to meet expectations at a club chasing major honours.
“I think so, yeah. (it was an uncharacteristic performance) I think it’s the pressure.
“But saying that, it’s a difficult place to go, you know what you’re getting when you go to Brentford. It’s not going to be easy, but you have to try to make it easy.
“You have to cut out individual mistakes, in terms of the concentration levels they have to be high. You have to limit them of chances, they didn’t do that really, I thought Brentford were better in the second half, I thought Arsenal wasted the first half.
“Eze was not good enough. Although I still feel like he’s playing with the handbrake on. I know he hasn’t played games and probably is not match fit, but you still expect a little bit more.
“But they (Arsenal) were different tonight, and I think that’s a mentality thing.”
For Arteta, the spotlight now intensifies around his management of Eze’s integration into the squad.
The Spaniard has deployed the playmaker cautiously, limiting his starting opportunities.
