Eberechi Eze returns to Arsenal: When the Gunners 'go all in'

When the Gunners 'go all in'

Eberechi Eze is the purest form of football player. Forget statistics or tactics, he is an attacking midfielder who makes football look easy.

The 27-year-old's dribbling and dribbling through opposition midfield has been a breath of fresh air for the Premier League since his arrival in 2020. Having been rejected by Arsenal's academy at the age of 13, Eze has risen through the ranks at Queens Park Rangers and has now won 12 England caps.

Arsenal have been chasing Eze since the summer transfer window opened in 2025. However, they appear to have given up on the deal after spending big on Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres. When the Premier League kicked off last weekend, Arsenal spent €220 million but only earned €8 million from player sales. They are under pressure to offload some of their stars before signing new players. This is why the Gunners almost let Tottenham snatch Eze.

Arsenal only got back in touch with Eze on Wednesday. It wasn’t because the midfielder had agreed personal terms with Tottenham. Unlike Gyokeres, Eze had no intention of waiting for Arsenal to come through. He was ready to leave Crystal Palace for Tottenham after feeling the Gunners had “abandoned” him.

Just when Tottenham thought they had Eze, Arsenal suffered a major blow when Kai Havertz suffered a serious injury. Although considered a backup for Gyokeres, Havertz is highly regarded for his versatility. Losing the German star, coach Mikel Arteta lost a trump card for difficult matches.

Just 3 days after Havertz was injured, Arsenal splashed out 70 million euros to bring Eze back to Emirates. This somewhat “reluctant” deal promises to create a big turning point for the Gunners, because Eze is the missing piece of Mikel Arteta’s team.

With Eze, Arsenal spent a total of nearly 300 million euros to recruit a new player. In terms of the actual amount spent (after adding the money from selling players), Arsenal is the team that spent the most money in the summer of 2025, not only in England but also in all of Europe. The determination that Arsenal showed in this deal shows their championship ambition. After 3 consecutive seasons of finishing second, the Gunners are determined to end a streak of 20 consecutive years of not being able to win the Premier League silver cup.

The perfect piece

“Sometimes I forget what I’m doing on the pitch,” Eze told reporters before scoring the winner as Palace beat Manchester City to win the FA Cup in May. “Why do I dribble? Why do I try daring moves? Why do I create and do things that other people don’t think of? It’s for the people in the stands. I play to get them up, to inspire them. Football seems to be missing that now, but as long as I’m playing, that’s all I want to give.”

Although Arsenal have been consistently challenging for trophies for the past three seasons, few of their players have the same mindset as Eze.

Eze celebrates goal in FA Cup 2025 final

Gabriel Jesus is a case in point. When he joined in the summer of 2022, he transformed Arsenal's attack. But a serious knee injury has reduced him to occasional flashes.

Martin Odegaard was no different, with his performances peaking in the second half of the 2023-24 season, when he played with instinct. However, an ankle injury that lasted two months in the 2024-25 season made it difficult for him to maintain his form.

As injuries piled up, Arsenal became more mechanical, and the desire for a creative, free-flowing player like Eze grew.

Eze has dealt with Achilles, hamstring and foot injuries during his five years at Palace, but he has never lost his touch. He can still make mesmerising dribbles, take delicate touches in the box to create chances, or strike audaciously from outside the area.

Much of his skill comes from his playing days in south-east London. Having been at Arsenal's academy from the age of eight to 13, Eze may have been influenced by those years.

Eze was once rejected from Arsenal's academy

Born in 1998, he played for Arsenal from 2006 to 2011, when the team had just moved to the Emirates Stadium. Under Arsene Wenger, Arsenal's midfield was led by creative players such as Cesc Fabregas, Tomas Rosicky, Aleksandr Hleb, Samir Nasri and Andrey Arshavin. They were technical masters, skillful in tight spaces and comfortable on the ball - role models for players in Eze's position.

Under Arteta, Arsenal have turned to physical midfielders like Mikel Merino, Kai Havertz and Declan Rice, as opposed to the technical players like Emile Smith Rowe who helped revive Arteta’s project when things faltered. Smith Rowe’s Premier League debut under Arteta was a 3-1 win over Chelsea on Boxing Day 2020, ending a seven-game winless run and kick-starting a new journey for Arsenal.

Smith Rowe left to join Fulham last summer, leaving a creative void unfilled.

But is Arteta's system suitable for Eze to shine?

Arteta has given Jesus – when fit – freedom to roam as a centre-forward, but injuries have limited his game time. Jesus scored five goals and assisted five more before suffering a knee injury at the 2022 World Cup, benefiting both himself and his teammates.

Eze also likes a system that is structured but still gives him freedom to express himself. “I need structure so I know what I have to do, but I also need the freedom to express myself and make decisions at the right time,” he told The Athletic in 2023. “When I have that freedom, I can be creative and make a difference.”

Eze's preferred position is number 10 on the left.

Eze understood his role under Roy Hodgson at Palace, and this has become even more evident under Oliver Glasner. The Austrian coach uses Eze as an attacking midfielder in a 3-4-2-1 formation, where he contributes defensively while also creating explosive moments in attack.

The combination of organisation and freedom helped Eze have his best season in terms of numbers in 2024-25 (15 goals and 11 assists in all competitions).

Eze's maturity was also reflected in his role in Palace's FA Cup triumph. Scoring in the third round, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final, he made history by helping Palace win their first major trophy.

The goals at Wembley in the semi-finals and final may have been the most memorable, but his performance in the 3-0 win over Fulham in the quarter-finals was also impressive. In the 34th minute, Eze received the ball from left-back Tyrick Mitchell with Sasa Lukic pressing him, skillfully dribbled, created space and fired a shot from outside the box that hit the post and into the net.

Four minutes later, he chased down the left flank, calmly outpaced Joachim Andersen, switched the ball to his left foot and delivered a precise cross for Ismaila Sarr to finish. There were no flashy touches, just smart, effective decisions.

Eze's skills and boyhood club connections could bring excitement - and fill the void Arteta's side are desperate for. The Emirates' new No.10 promises to help end their 20-year trophy drought.