WHEN Eberechi Eze smashed home a hat-trick against Tottenham in November, life at Arsenal was easy.
The playmaker tormented the Gunners’ rivals that day to the extent he was literally laughing after his third goal.
How long ago that afternoon now feels.
A dream day has been followed by a nightmare few months, which is summed up by the fact Eze will probably start when Arsenal host Wigan in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday.
Mikel Arteta is likely to rotate his side as next week the Gunners have crucial trips to Wolves and Tottenham in the Prem.
Eze should get the nod against Wigan, but it is hard to see how he starts either of the two games after.
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The midfielder will have similar concerns when it comes to England, because on current form there is no way he makes Thomas Tuchel’s squad for this summer’s World Cup.
Who would have predicted that when they left the Emirates back in November after Eze’s stunning hat-trick against Spurs?
That game felt like the spark to ignite the midfielder’s time in North London, however he has fallen flat since then.
Eze has made ten appearances in the Prem following the win over Spurs – and the stats make for grim reading.
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The England star has no goals or assists in his 335 minutes of action across those games.
He has had just two shots, created three chances and completed only five dribbles.
Thursday night was the latest low, with Eze hooked at half time as Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw at Brentford.
He touched the ball just 17 times in 45 minutes and – most incredibly for a flair player like Eze – did not attempt a single dribble.
Being brutally honest, Eze looked lost and a shadow of the player that inspired Crystal Palace to FA Cup glory last season.
Arteta said: “It’s not easy when you move to a new club, it’s always like this.
“And when you play against a team like this, and the ball is a lot of times not on the floor, you have to be constantly breaking the play.
“To do that, especially for attacking and creative players, it’s more difficult.”
When Arsenal signed Eze as part of a deal worth £68million last summer, Arteta spoke about how he had a “special aura”.
The belief was the midfielder could be the X-factor player the Gunners have missed. The man to deliver a moment of magic when needed and end the club’s trophy drought.
In fairness, there have been flashes of brilliance.
The hat-trick against Tottenham will never be forgotten. Eze also scored the winner against his old club, Palace, and assisted Gabriel Martinelli’s late winner against City in September.
But Arsenal should rightly expect far more from Eze given the cash they splashed on him.
Viktor Gyokeres has copped plenty of flack this season, yet Eze has been just as underwhelming – if not more.
Arteta said: “You have to impact the game consistently throughout 96 minutes at this level.
“Any phase, any action is the most important action and on top of that you have to be able to add other values.
“In Eze’s case he is very, very good and unique at creating those magic moments. So that is the demand of each player.”
Arteta must shoulder some of the blame for Eze’s struggles.
When the deal was completed, Arteta spoke about making sure that Eze has “the freedom and the capacity to express his quality”.
Has Eze had that? It doesn’t feel like it.
Instead he has been moved around, asked to play out left, as a No8 and lately a No10.
At Palace, it was clear what Eze’s role was. Basically, he didn’t have one – just go out and express yourself.
The opposite feels true at Arsenal. Eze is a cog in a well-oiled machine, just like Jack Grealish was at City.
It took Grealish time to adapt to that after moving from Aston Villa, but after a tough debut season he did play a pivotal role in Pep Guardiola’s side winning the Treble.
Who knows, maybe Eze will do the same.
We are coming up to the part of the season that he traditionally thrives in, when the clocks go forward and the sun comes out.
Eze has 24 goals and assists combined across his last 31 Prem appearances between March and May.
There is still time for him to turn it around this season, but it is running out.