How Arsenal's summer signings can help Eberechi Eze conjure title-winning magic | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta’s most exciting new addition wants to be final spark to clinch the crown

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Mikel Arteta cannot conjure solutions with a magic wand, though at times Arsenal’s left flank must have made him wish he could.

Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Granit Xhaka scored 35 goals between them, complementing the 30 delivered by Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard on the right.

Over time, however, Arsenal have become reliant on their right flank and the left side’s influence has diminished.

That 2022-23 unit has since been broken up, with Oleksandr Zinchenko joining Xhaka in leaving this summer, and Jesus remains sidelined by injury.

Arteta cannot wave a wand, but some magic from Eberechi Eze may be what is needed to spark the left back into life.

Eberechi Eze is Arsenal’s most exciting summer signing

Action Images via Reuters

Eze’s arrival is, arguably, the most exciting of Arsenal’s eight signings this summer, given his ability on the ball.

Arteta has admitted to seeing similarities in Eze to Santi Cazorla and Tomas Rosicky, two of his former team-mates, and at 27 years old, the midfielder is entering his prime.

“Yeah, they have a different feel of the ball,” said Arteta. “Everything glides and moves so smoothly. They are beautiful to watch, the way they carry the ball, the way they take touches, the way they turn. Ebere for sure has got this talent.”

There were flashes of what Eze can bring during his debut at Anfield before the international break.

He came off the bench for the final 20 minutes and nearly scored after driving into Liverpool’s box.

Like fellow new arrival Viktor Gyokeres, it will take time for Eze to adapt to Arsenal - or perhaps for the Gunners to adapt to him.

Not since the days of Mesut Ozil have Arsenal had a true maverick in their squad, and Eze will need the team’s sometimes rigid structure to bend.

Gyokeres regularly drifts left - a habit from his early days as a winger - and should open areas for Eze to exploit

“He’s already gathered a lot of information on the things that we want to see on the pitch,” said Arteta.

“But especially, making sure that he has the freedom and the capacity to express his quality, which is the reason why we brought him here.

“Just let him flow with that ball and the ability he has to pick passes, to drive past people effortlessly and just to understand the timing of things, is very impressive.

“We have to put him in the positions and scenarios where he can deliver those moments, which is the reason why we brought him - to give us something different, something unexpected. We will adapt more where necessary, as we know the outcome of that is really big.”

How that adaptation takes shape will be fascinating, but it already feels like pieces are shifting so Eze can shine.

Declan Rice continues to operate as a left No8, though he has played deeper this season.

Declan Rice and Eberechi Eze already have a relationship

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Martin Zubimendi, anchoring midfield, often dovetails with Rice and at times they even form a double pivot.

Such movement should suit Eze, leaving him the space inside that he craves when cutting in from the left.

Gyokeres’ movement could add to that. The Swede regularly drifts left - a habit from his early days as a winger - and again this should open areas for Eze to exploit.

Then there is Arsenal’s left-back, arguably the most competitive position in the squad after the deadline-day arrival of Piero Hincapie.

Arteta can also call upon Myles Lewis-Skelly and Riccardo Calafiori, giving him huge depth and different weapons.

Calafiori currently has the shirt, and his role should complement Eze. The Italian pushes exceptionally high when Arsenal are in possession and, during the 5-0 win over Leeds, he was almost alongside Gyokeres.

It was reminiscent of the positions Xhaka used to take up during the 2022-23 season, although he made those runs from midfield and not defence.

Hincapie was the 21st fastest player in the Bundesliga last season, the thought of him charging beyond Eze is frightening

Lewis-Skelly sitting deeper behind Eze is another possibility, but perhaps most intriguing of all is how Hincapie could be used.

The Ecuadorian prefers playing centre-back, yet when deployed at left-back he resembles an old-school, overlapping full-back.

Hincapie was the 21st fastest player in the Bundesliga last season, and the thought of him charging beyond Eze is a frightening one.

This season Arteta has repeatedly spoken about his ability to “change the puzzle” - and no player enables that more than Eze.

Arsenal believe his creativity will add another dimension to their attack and they see him as someone who can operate left, right or centrally.

His intelligence, and eye for openings and passes few can see, made him stand out from other transfer targets, with Arteta himself pushing for the club to act.

After years of falling just short, Eze could be the missing spark that finally pushes Arsenal over the line.