Theo Walcott hits out over 'surprising' Eberechi Eze development in Arsenal draw vs Man City
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(Credit: Getty, Imago)
Edward Bazeley
Mon 22 September 2025 7:15, UK
Arsenal failed to turn their possession into a win as they rescued a late draw against fellow Premier League giants Manchester City on Sunday.
Erling Haaland opened the scoring as Arsenal drew 1-1 with Man City on 21 September, thanks to Gabriel Martinelli’s late equaliser.
The result leaves the Gunners five points adrift of defending Premier League champions Liverpool, who are already in a commanding position to retain their title.
Credit: Imago
Arteta did not select summer signing Eberechi Eze in his starting lineup on 21 September, which meant that Arsenal lacked creativity throughout the first half.
Discussing Arsenal’s performance on BBC One’s Match of the Day [21 September], Theo Walcott said: “For me it was a completely lacklustre game for Arsenal, from the first-half particularly.
Eze didn’t start vs Man City (Credit Imago)
“You have all these options and attacking threat, and you don’t utilise it.”
Host Mark Chapman asked Walcott: “When you say the lineup surprises you, are you talking about that midfield balance, are you talking about Eze being on the bench?”
The former Arsenal and England star replied: “When you sign a player like Eze, the game-changers really, whatever you want to call these guys, fans want to see these players play.
I feel like in these games, if you want to get results, you have to be able to take those risks and in this moment of time Arsenal aren’t doing that.”
“I was just disappointed in Eze’s part, not to actually play in the starting lineup.”
In the summer transfer window, Arsenal signed attacking talents like Viktor Gyokreres and Eze, suggesting that they were ready to launch a serious title bid.
Arsenal’s next three fixturesAll competitions 2025/2624/09Port Vale (A), EFL Cup28/09Newcastle (A), Premier League01/10Olympiacos (H), Champions LeagueArsenal face Port Vale nextt
Furthermore, Arteta’s other summer signings, such as Martin Zubimendi and Cristhian Mosquera, have already made a positive impact at the Emirates Stadium.
However, Arsenal lost 1-0 to Liverpool last month, before also dropping points against Man City on 21 September, suggesting that they are still not capable of getting themselves over the line in the most vital games of the campaign.
The Gunners must now ensure that they manage to earn an away victory over Newcastle United in their next Premier League game on Sunday, 28 September.
Meanwhile, the fact that Arteta’s men are already five points behind Liverpool in the top-flight title race suggests that competitions like the EFL Cup and perhaps even the Champions League have become more realistic routes to obtaining silverware.