Arsenal’s summer transfer window so far has turned into an excellent one since signing Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace, stunning Tottenham Hotspur in the process. The Gunners have made a £67.5 million bid for Eze and have all but secured his services.
The English winger will be another option for the Gunners on the left flank along with Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard. He can also play in the central midfield as a No. 10, thereby acting as a back-up for Martin Odegaard.
However, the Gunners will have to make all those good signings count with improved performance on the pitch.
Will Eberechi Eze Improve Arsenal?
On paper, he should. Martin Zubimendi, another new acquisition for Mikel Arteta, caught the eyes in the match against Manchester United. However, Arsenal’s performance in the match, which saw them finish with less than 40% ball-possession, was not very satisfactory despite their 1-0 win.
Arsenal were left to play counter-attacking football mostly after having taken the lead. The Gunners relied a lot on Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli for the same, but Odegaard had an ordinary match.
The Gunners have often looked too dependent on scoring from set-pieces under Arteta. Their football in general has not been very attractive, though they have a water-tight defence.
With Eze in the playing XI, if Arsenal rely on playing counter-attacking football, it will be a waste, as Eze himself is not an ideal man to play that kind of football.
He likes to spend time on the ball and play short passes to build up attacks. Ideally, he should like the Gunners to have more ball-possession and dominate the proceedings. Given the abundance of good players in their squad, Arsenal should be more dominant in their performance as well.
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The Gunners Have Looked More Defence-Oriented Recently
Arsenal have looked more defence-oriented in their strategy in the recent past. They probably have the meanest defence in the league and are the most effective side from set-pieces as well. However, their football has not been as eye-catching as Liverpool’s or Manchester City’s.
They have a holding midfielder in Declan Rice, who can play as a No. 8 and make surging runs forward. However, Rice is not one to help his teams build up attacks by playing short passes. His playing style suits Arsenal’s current one though.
However, with Eze in the side, it remains to be seen whether there is a shift in the Gunners’ playing style. Arsenal should play like true champions if they harbour the ambition of finishing on the top of the Premier League table, something which has eluded them repeatedly.
Eze will not enjoy being a fringe player in the side after the efforts the Gunners have put to sign him. Martinelli might be making way for him in the starting XI.
Eze does not have Martinelli’s pace, though. Hence, unless there is a serious change in the team’s playing style, the signing of Eze might not benefit the North Londoners much this season either.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Sportimage
Recording Date: 23.08.2025
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