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Eberechi Eze has been warned by Arsenal’s coaches that his tendency to dribble is an issue due to how it affects the team’s pressing structure.
Over the weekend, Eze produced another two goals against Tottenham, to take his tally against the Gunners’ bitter rivals to five for the season.
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The 27-year-old had been really struggling at the Emirates Stadium up until that point, so it was a much-needed confidence boost for him.
However, behind the scenes, Mikel Arteta’s coaching staff have been working closely with him to remove certain elements of his game which do not fit at Arsenal.
Coaches warn Eberechi Eze that his dribbling is affecting Arsenal’s press
Eberechi Eze has been warned that what he could get away with at Crystal Palace on the ball, he no longer can at Arsenal.
The former Palace star has been told he must cut out certain aspects of his dribbling in N5, which could impact the team’s structure.
Eze is a very off-the-cuff player who thrived in South London, but things have to change for the attacking midfielder.
Delany told The Second Captains Podcast: “I mean, obviously, he actually picked him yesterday, like this is the way Arteta thinks a fair bit, but because Eze has a good feeling about playing Spurs, there was obviously the hat trick in the last game.
“So may as well use that, especially in a moment when Arsenal have been facing some challenges regarding confidence, and this is a player who has confidence playing Spurs.
“From what I’ve been told, one of the discussions that’s been had with Eze, they’ve been working on in training, is getting used to the responsibilities of being at a top club, which means an attacker can’t necessarily be indulged in the same way because of how finely tuned everything is.
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“On that, this is why, on the point about the attackers, why Havertz could be so key to the run-in, because he’s basically seen as a player who gets Arteta’s pressing more than anyone else in the front line.
“But with Eze, from what I’ve been told, there’s been certain issues where they’ve been talking to him about taking the ball on and dribbling in certain areas and how that presents a risk because so much of the pressing structure.
“I guess this is the level you’re getting to with these sorts of coaches and these sorts of teams. But if he does something in a certain area, it affects the pressing structure there.”
Following his impressive brace, it will now be interesting to see how Eze responds in the next game against Chelsea.
The 27-year-old will surely start once again against the West Londoners, given just how good he was at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
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