Eberechi Eze proves a point as Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta makes telling change vs Port Vale

Eberechi Eze is so versatile that his arrival at Arsenal this summer left Mikel Arteta will almost too many options to consider. But the freedom of a Carabao Cup tie against Port Vale allowed the Gunners boss to try something different and reap the rewards.

After joining in a £67.5million deal from Crystal Palace last month, Eze has generally been fielded on the left wing. With Arsenal settled in a 4-3-3 formation and Arteta favouring a solid midfield three - especially with captain Martin Odegaard unavailable - Eze has been forced to operate off the left flank.

Arteta bristled after the 1-1 draw against Manchester City on Sunday when his decision to start Mikel Merino, Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi in midfield was politely queried. "No, we don't have time for that," he replied bluntly. Pressed further, he added: "Because I say it was the best one to start the game. Nobody asked me about the midfield three in Bilbao, nobody."

The Arsenal manager is clearly aware of the handbrake-on perception some supporters have of him in big games. Having lost 1-0 to Liverpool and drawn with City, there is another big game on the horizon, against Newcastle at St James' Park on Sunday, but for Wednesday night it was a different brief. And that meant a different approach.

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Arteta surprised fans by naming a strong line-up against the team who sit 19th in League One, with the presence of Bukayo Saka after returning from a hamstring injury raising some eyebrows. With Viktor Gyokeres on the bench, it was Merino who reprised his role as a false No.9, while Eze and Ethan Nwaneri were given the creative roles as No.8s in midfield.

This is the position many have been crying out for Eze to be given and he made the most of it, slotting away his first Arsenal goal early on. Nwaneri's pass sent the ball out wide for Gabriel Martinelli, whose square pass got a hint of a touch off Myles Lewis-Skelly for Eze to place into the bottom corner.

Eze should have made it 2-0 later in the first half when played through on goal by Martinelli, but his effort was saved by Vale goalkeeper Joe Gauci. With Christian Norgaard making his first Arsenal start at the base of midfield against limited opponents, Eze had the licence to roam forward into the box.

Speaking after the Man City draw, in which Eze played the killer pass for Martinelli's 93rd-minute goal, Arteta hinted at the challenge of finding the best position for Eze. "When he plays shifty from the left, whether he's an attacker in midfielder or a winger coming to that space as well, he's someone that is very, very efficient and very creative," he said. "We know that, that's why we bought him. So we're using him in different spaces."

To the relief of Arsenal fans, Saka was withdrawn to give 16-year-old Max Dowman a chance to shine, while Ben White being replaced by Gabriel Magalhaes meant Cristhian Mosquera switching to right-back to show his own versatility.

Dowman should have returned an assist, but Gyokeres took too long over his shot after being played through, allowing a block. It was another of Arteta's "finishers" who made the game safe, with Leandro Trossard rifling into the bottom corner from the edge of the box after being found by a long ball over the top.

That meant job done, minutes in the tank, and, potentially, a glimpse at the future, with Arteta unleashing his creative players from central positions.

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