Eberechi Eze decision raises Alan Shearer eyebrow as Ian Wright also questions Mikel Arteta

Mikel Arteta's call to start Eberechi Eze on the bench in Arsenal 's clash with Liverpool left many scratching their heads. The 27-year-old, who arrived from Crystal Palace this summer, found himself among the substitutes as the Gunners suffered a 1-0 defeat at Anfield on Sunday.

He entered the fray in the 70th minute but couldn't stop Liverpool claiming victory through Dominik Szoboszlai's spectacular free-kick. With injuries forcing both Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard out of the starting XI , many expected that Arteta would call upon his new signing to add a spark to Arsenal's frontline – but he decided otherwise.

The decision left Alan Shearer and Gunners legend Ian Wright baffled, though Gary Lineker showed greater sympathy. "I was surprised with Arsenal not [starting] Eze," Shearer said on The Rest Is Football podcast .

"I thought they'd ease him in," Gary Lineker responded, prompting Shearer to fire back: "Why would they need to ease him in? It's not as if he hasn't played – he's played all season. He's already played Liverpool."

"Good point," Lineker admitted. "I don't know. I just think that seems to be what they do now. You would think big new signing, get him in, bosh bosh.

"I was a bit frustrated. I wanted to see him play... but it just seems to be the way now, doesn't it? They come on, they'll have 30 minutes. The next game he'll probably start and get an hour."

Shearer continued: "I was sat having a pint with Wrighty [Ian Wright], and Wrighty was like, 'Why is he not playing?' It's not like he hasn't been playing. He's up to speed. He's already played Liverpool this season.

"So I was slightly surprised he wasn't given the opportunity to go from the start. Because I thought he did alright when he came on. He was a bit of a threat."

Eze joined Arsenal last month in a £60million transfer , potentially rising to £67.5m, after the Gunners hijacked Tottenham's pursuit of the England international.

A lifelong Arsenal supporter , Eze had a stint in the club's youth system as a youngster before spells at Fulham , Millwall and QPR , where he launched his professional career.

He is amongst three offensive additions secured by Arsenal this summer, alongside Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke – both of whom started on Sunday. The Gunners also bolstered other areas with the signings of Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Cristhian Mosquera, Kepa Arrizabalaga and deadline day signing Piero Hincapie, pushing their total summer spending past the £250m mark.

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.

Arsenal now sit in third position in the Premier League following victories in two of their opening three fixtures. They narrowly defeated Manchester United with a 1-0 triumph at Old Trafford before crushing Leeds 5-0 at the Emirates Stadium.

Despite the setback at Liverpool, there's still plenty of optimism as the Gunners prepare to resume domestic action after the international break. They're set to face Nottingham Forest at home next, before kicking off their Champions League journey away to Athletic Bilbao.

Eze will be in line to make his Champions League debut, and after the debate surrounding his omission at Anfield, all eyes will be on whether Arteta unleashes his £60m signing from the start.