Paul Merson warns £68m Arsenal star he ‘might not get back in the team’ | Football

Paul Merson has warned Arsenal summer signing Eberechi Eze he ‘might not get back in the team’ following a dip in form.

Eze appeared to have announced himself as a key member of Mikel Arteta’s squad when he bagged a rare north London derby hat-trick against his former suitors Tottenham a month ago.

But the 27-year-old, who joined Arsenal in a £60m move from Crystal Palace last summer, has struggled since the emphatic win over Spurs.

Eze has either been subbed on or subbed off in his last five appearances, while he has been an unused substitute in two of Arsenal’s previous three games.

The England international attracted criticism for his performance in Arsenal’s defeat to Aston Villa at the start of the month and faces massive competition from the likes of Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli and captain Martin Odegaard.

Merson believes Eze ‘might be in and out’ of the Arsenal team for the rest of the season and says his status as a bit-part player will play into the hands of Morgan Rogers, a rival for the No. 10 position for England at next summer’s World Cup.

Rogers is arguably the most in-form No. 10 in the Premier League, scoring back-to-back braces to help Aston Villa win ten games in a row and climb to third in the Premier League, three points behind Arsenal.

‘As we talk today Morgan Rogers has got the shirt,’ Merson said on Sky Sports after Villa’s 2-1 win over Manchester United on Sunday. ‘It’s his shirt today.

‘All he can do is focus on the next game, the next training session. Don’t worry about what’s happening in six month’s time.

‘If he keeps doing what he’s doing he will start and I don’t see how he doesn’t because he’s always going to play at Aston Villa.

‘You look at Eze, he might not get back in the Arsenal team for a while, he might be in and out.

‘Whereas Rogers will be first-choice at Villa, even when it’s not going too well for him he will still play. I think he starts for England at the World Cup.’

Former Aston Villa star Ashley Young added: ‘A lot can happen and maybe he will have a dip but right now he’s got the shirt.

‘If he keeps playing like this he’s definitely going to be England’s No. 10 at the World Cup. But a lot can change.’

Rogers insisted he was in an excellent place after helping Aston Villa down Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United and would continue to work hard with one eye on next summer’s World Cup.

‘I’m really confident and enjoying my football but it’s not just me, it’s the whole team,’ he said. ‘The team’s performances give me that belief and confidence and allow me to be me.

‘That’s the most important thing. Our team performances are getting us the wins, not just me, so a big game and big win.’

Asked about the battle he faces for a place in England’s World Cup team, Rogers added: ‘I play football to try and fulfil my potential and be the best version of myself as possible.

‘I try my hardest, sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t, but I keep working hard and wherever it takes me, it takes me.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

MORE: Gary Neville rules one team out of Premier League title race with Arsenal

MORE: Kobbie Mainoo injury prediction from Ruben Amorim reveals blow for Man Utd

MORE: ‘The real deal’ – Roy Keane hails Man Utd star after Aston Villa defeat