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AFCON 2025
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Premier League legend Gary Neville has warned the club's big-money summer signing that he could struggle in Mikel Arteta's rigid tactical setup.
Gary Neville has cautioned that Eberechi Eze is unlikely to be granted the creative freedom he enjoyed at Crystal Palace now that he is playing under Mikel Arteta at Arsenal.
The England international, who joined the Gunners from Palace in a £67.5 million summer transfer, has yet to establish himself as a regular starter in the midfield. Despite this, Eze delivered a standout performance in Arsenal's 3-2 Champions League victory over Kairat Almaty on Wednesday night.
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However, during a discussion on the "Stick To Football" podcast, both Neville and fellow pundit Ian Wright questioned whether the 27-year-old's style is compatible with Arteta’s structured system.
Wright initiated the debate, suggesting Eze needs to be allowed to play with the same liberty he had at his former club.
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"We’re talking about someone like Eze, now Eze is coming in now and we’re saying, ‘Eze do your thing what you did at Palace,’ Eze needs to be played and just free to play," Wright said.
Gary Neville offers Arsenal fans Eberechi Eze warning
Neville was quick to express his skepticism, replying, "I don’t think he’s going to get that."
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The former Manchester United captain elaborated, drawing parallels between Arteta and his mentor, Pep Guardiola. "He [Arteta] comes from that Pep [Guardiola] school of methodology over what would be being the maverick," Neville explained.
"When I look at Pep’s teams and what he did with [Jack] Grealish and when I see what Mikel does, you’ve got to admire how they put that system into the players, but they do want the methodology and the process of how you play to be followed over the individual."
Wright argued that for a player like Eze to thrive, some tactical rigidity might need to be sacrificed. He pointed to recent goals from Matheus Cunha and Patrick Dorgu as examples of individual brilliance that can emerge from less structured play.
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18:06 - 30.01.2026
I've known Guardiola since I was 15 — Arteta rejects mind games as title race heats up
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has insisted his relationship with Pep Guardiola remains solid despite their years of fighting for the Premier League title.
"If you’ve got someone like Eze who plays with freedom... they’re in positions where you’d like to see someone like Eze because he can do that," Wright stated.
"He’s got to have the freedom to play and wander into these areas. At the moment it does feel a bit rigid for him."
The former Arsenal striker concluded by highlighting the apparent contradiction between the manager's words and the team's on-field approach.
"If you’re going to leave [Martin] Odegaard out and bring this Eze in who is not free, doesn’t feel free… he’s [Arteta] said about enjoyment and letting them go."