Olaleye Idowu
Former Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid star, Steve McManaman, has criticised Arsenal forward, Eberechi Eze, over his performance in the Gunners’ 2-0 win over Athletic Club in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Eze did not perform the way Arsenal fans had expected during the Champions League Day One game in Spain.
McManaman, who was on punditry duties on TNT Sports, said the England international has to do better.
Eze left Crystal Palace for Arsenal late in the transfer window in an initial £60m move.
He has since played against Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in the Premier League and Athletic Club in the Champions League.
The midfielder was underwhelming in Spain, making little impact at all.
Arsenal boss, Mikel Arteta, withdrew Eze and Viktor Gyokeres with the score at 0-0, and introduced Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, both scoring as the match finished 2-0.
McManaman said, “Martinelli did more in five minutes than Eze did in 70 minutes.
“Eze will watch that performance tonight when he goes back and say ‘this is a different class of opposition’.
“They’re quicker, stronger than he faced in the Premier League with Crystal Palace, and he knows his level will have to jump up.
“You’re now playing big boy football in the Champions League. If you want to compete, you have to be quicker, you have to be better than he showed tonight.”
It was clear that Athletic Bilbao provided a different level of opposition to what the England international is used to seeing in the Premier League.
And he struggled so much at the San Mames.
