‘Devastated’ - Ian Wright issues chilling warning to Arsenal star Eberechi Eze after ruthless Mikel Arteta sub

Eze suffered a disappointing afternoon after being hauled off at half-time during Arsenal's away victory against Forest. The midfielder was handed his first Premier League start of the campaign at the City Ground.

However, manager Arteta chose to replace the £60 million signing at the interval. His replacement, Noni Madueke, made an instant impact by scoring the match-winning goal in the 80th minute to seal all three points.

Arsenal legend Wright believes the early hook will hit the former Crystal Palace playmaker hard. Wright expressed concern that the England international may now struggle to secure a consistent spot in Arteta's starting line-up for the remainder of the season.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Wright gave a candid assessment of Eze's early withdrawal and his current standing in the squad. The former Arsenal striker admitted he expected the midfielder to be taken off, though not as early as the break.

"It’s very tough for him at the minute," Wright stated. "Looking at the first-half, we started thinking that he would get taken off. I didn’t think it would be at half-time though. He must be devastated."

Eze helped Arsenal win the Premier League title and reach the Champions League final during his debut season at the Emirates Stadium. Despite those team achievements, his individual performances have underwhelmed in recent months.

Wright explained that tactical positioning on the pitch might be contributing to the playmaker's ongoing struggles. The former Palace star thrives when playing through the middle, but Arteta has primarily used him out wide.

"Eze is more of a movements players, he likes to come in-field but it’s going to be very tough for him to get in the team in those positions," Wright explained. "It looks like he’s going to be on the left-hand side but he needs players around him.

"He wants to be more central and looks isolated on the left, it’s not using his main skills. But if I’m him, I would just have a go. It looks like he won’t be one of the main first-teamers, the same with [Viktor] Gyokeres and [Noni] Madueke, so at least have a real go."

Arsenal must now turn their attention to Europe as they prepare for a major fixture. The Gunners host German giants Bayern Munich in a crucial Champions League clash on Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, Forest will look to rebound from their home defeat later in the week. Forest return to domestic action on Friday night when they travel to face Ipswich Town.