Overview

• Eberechi Eze was left out of Arsenal’s starting XI against Manchester City, came on at half-time with Bukayo Saka, and set up Gabriel Martinelli’s 93rd-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw.
• Mikel Arteta defended his selection as tactical, said Arsenal dominated most aspects of the match, and acknowledged Eze was likely disappointed not to start.
• Post-match, Arteta said he views Eze as a central option and confirmed he deployed him there against City, slightly shifted to the right by design.
• Sky Sports pundits criticized the lineup as overly cautious, and Micah Richards suggested Eze’s recent defensive work in Bilbao may have influenced the decision to bench him.
• Eze posted “Keep moving forward” after the game, reflecting a positive stance as debate continues over his best role and integration.