Coach Mikel Arteta emphasized that "the mistakes are very unusual leading to counter-attacks" when assessing the difficulties Arsenal faced in the first half of the 1-0 win over Fulham last weekend.
The Arsenal captain did not name any players, but some names may be on the list for consideration. Gabriel Magalhaes has had a few unfocused moves, while Leandro Trossard is no exception.
Eberechi Eze is also one of the players mentioned. After moving from Crystal Palace for £67 million, Arteta immediately put him in the starting lineup. This is understandable, because Eze is clearly an excellent player. He deserves to be praised for his impressive performances in the first matches.
However, in the first half of the match against Fulham, there were reminding signs that Eze was still in the early stages of adapting to Arteta's requirements and new playing style. Eze himself admitted that his "mental is stressed" as he got used to the new environment.
The first "unusual ball" Arteta mentioned at Craven Cottage came in the 10th minute, when Eze, playing as Arsenal's No. 10, had Sander Berge and Tom Cairney steal the ball in the penalty area. This situation occurred after he refused a simple pass to try to dribble the ball.
This loss of the ball created an opportunity for Josh King to pass the ball to Raul Jimenez, opening up a three-on-three attack for Fulham. Arsenal could have paid the price if Jimenez' pass to Harry Wilson had not been pushed too high.
When reviewing, it was possible to see a clear difference in the speed of Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori compared to Eze, who was slower at the start of the match due to having less time to adapt to Arteta's tactical requirements.
About 20 minutes later, Eze again failed to make a safe pass, allowing Josh King to steal the ball and rush straight into Arsenal's half.
Eze's mistakes can be explained by the adaptation process. The new team he joined is clearly different from his old team. Arsenal had 63% possession over Fulham, while Crystal Palace only achieved this number in one Premier League match last season.
Clearly, opponents have less space to rotate when organizing a squad like Fulham. "Maybe he's used to attacking in space, breaking through, facing and keeping the ball when there's space in front of him more" - Arteta commented after the match.
In terms of how many lost balls, the reason why they stand out is because Arteta's team is often very good at limiting counter-attacking opportunities. During the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 seasons, only Bournemouth have had to attack faster than Arsenal.
Interestingly, this season, Arsenal is at the other end of the rankings. They let their opponents organize counter-attacks faster than any other team, with a total of 13 times.
Eze attracted The Gunners with his difference in playing style. The challenge for Arteta is to find the right balance, helping Eze adapt without affecting defensive discipline.
The match against Atletico Madrid is a step in the right direction and it should be noted that Eze is adapting to many different positions, as well as with new teammates and new playing style.
After only 2 months playing for Arsenal, he has been used in both midfield and left wing of the three-man attack.
Of course, the requirements of each match are different. There were times when Arsenal played better with Eze in the three-man midfield. However, having him start on the left wing rather than the center would allow Eze to take the risk and have less risk of making Arsenal counter-attack.
Finally, Eze needs to be encouraged to pursue his instincts, take advantage of personal techniques to change the game situation and break the deadlock. He is gradually adapting to Arsenal, but at the same time Arsenal also have to get used to him. The good news is that this process is happening very quickly.
