It's the fourth straight Premier League game where Eberechi Eze has been left on the bench by Mikel Arteta, a move that has started to raise questions about whether the Arsenal manager trusts their biggest summer signing.

Eberechi Eze has so far enjoyed a mixed start to life at Arsenal having completed a £67 million move from Crystal Palace in August, fulfilling his childhood dream of playing for the club that released him as a teenager.

Thanks to the early-season injuries to Martin Ødegaard, the former Queens Park Rangers star got off to a flying start on his return, assisting Viktor Gyokeres on his first start against Nottingham Forest in September.

He also starred in the North London derby, where he became only the fourth player to score a hat-trick in the fixture in the Premier League, and now has five goals and three assists in 22 games across all competitions for Arsenal.

Why has Eberechi Eze gone cold?

Eberechi Eze arrived at Arsenal with a superstar status thanks to his impeccable final season with the Eagles, where he not only bagged 14 goals and 12 assists across all competitions, but also led the club to their first-ever major silverware.

He was the key to their Emirates FA Cup success, scoring four goals and adding one assist, including the lone winner in the final against Manchester City at Wembley.

The success extended to the English football curtain raiser for the ongoing season, with the FA Community shield, a trophy won by beating Liverpool on penalties, before he sealed his Arsenal move on deadline day.

The expectations were high, and Eze hit the ground running thanks to the situation at Arsenal at the time. However, the current situation is the reality he signed up for, maybe not this deep, but even this will pass.

If Eze is one, then Arsenal is a club of superstars, and the 27-year-old was never going to remain as big as he was at Palace, because he has moved into the company of more elite players, where he has to fight for and earn every minute played.

Hasn't Eberechi Eze been playing?

His absence in Arsenal's last four Premier League games was not going to go unnoticed, yet, that is not enough to claim Eberechi Eze has not been playing at Arsenal. In fact, he may be overplayed.

Eberechi Eze made 22 Arsenal appearances before the turn of the year, despite playing the opening two weeks at Crystal Palace.

His 24 appearances in the first half of the season are the most he has featured at club level at the same stage, since moving to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2020 from Championship club Queens Park Rangers.

His absence in the last four Premier League games has a reason, but to translate that into an agenda that he has not been playing is wide off the mark. He has been exposed to more than he was used to at this stage.

Why was Eberechi Eze dropped in the Premier League 

With many of his wingers just returning from injuries ahead of the visit to Aston Villa at the start of December, Mikel Arteta opted for a fully fit Eberechi Eze to complement a front three of Mikel Merino and Bukayo Saka.

However, the moment Mathy Cash scored that 36th-minute volley to put the host in front, it became clear to the Arsenal boss that Eze does not have what it takes to be an Arsenal winger, especially in his stake matches.

He lost his man, a mistake the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard would rarely make, and with the duo now available for selection, Eze will have to focus on playing as a midfielder when he features in important games.

The return and form of Martin Ødegaard, who is his direct rival for a place, has made it difficult for Eze, because it would be uncharacteristic of Mikel Arteta to drop his in-form captain.

While a substitute role is an option, Arsenal's need to defend slim leads since the Aston Villa match has limited his opportunities, a coincidence that has created the impression that the England international has been abandoned.

Eberechi Eze's time will come again

With action resuming across four competitions, Eberechi Eze will soon return for Arsenal; notably this month, when they play nine games, including high-stakes clashes against Liverpool, Chelsea, Inter, and Manchester United.

His contributions have been vital to Arsenal's season thus far, and their significance will grow throughout the second half of the campaign, as crucial Champions League fixtures mandate that Arteta rotates the squad to maintain player fitness.

Arsenal welcome Liverpool to the Emirates Stadium on Thursday night looking to continue their impressive run in the final game of the Premier League round 21, and if it comes too soon for Eze's return to action, then he will surely be back when they travel to Fratton Park for an Emirates FA Cup clash with Portsmouth on Sunday.

Claims that Eberechi Eze has not been playing at Arsenal hold no solid evidence, and however it is viewed, he was never going to maintain the main man status, and that has been the only thing the move to Arsenal has taken away from him, but that does not mean the minutes don't count.

1000 minutes in the Premier League, 231 in the EFL Cup, and 267 in the UEFA Champions League, Eze has already played a total of 1498 club minutes, which is just 151 fewer than half of his 3299 minutes for Palace in the whole of last season.

Take note that the Eagles also had that extended FA Cup run last season, while Arsenal are yet to get theirs off this season.

The minutes will definitely come, and even though Eze will likely not be the 'main man' he was at Palace, he can still play a significant part in the success Arsenal so desires, which is exactly why he accepted a return to the club, anyway.