Eberechi Eze names one 'special' Arsenal player who has surprised and inspired him

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·19 de noviembre de 2025

Eberechi Eze names one 'special' Arsenal player who has surprised and inspired him

England midfielder admits one Gunners star has exceeded his already high expectations in training

Eberechi Eze has opened up on his positive start to life at Arsenal, praising the “relentless” Mikel Arteta and revealing the one “special” player who has surpassed his high expectations in training to become an inspiration.

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Eze has made a quick impact with the Gunners since his £67.5million summer switch across London from Crystal Palace, which came after he snubbed rivals Tottenham, becoming a swift fan favourite and registering two goals and three assists in his first 15 appearances across all competitions.

The England midfielder’s versatility has been a valuable asset to Arteta during a period of key injuries that has not derailed Arsenal, who sit top of the Premier League ahead of their return to action following the latest international break with a home derby showdown against Spurs, though saw the gap to closest challengers Manchester City cut to four points following a dramatic last-gasp draw at promoted Sunderland.

Eze has risen to the challenge with the likes of influential captain Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz sidelined, playing an important role alongside Declan Rice and fellow summer signing Martin Zubimendi.

Arsenal have only failed to win three of their 17 matches so far this season, making a 100 per cent start in the Champions League and also advancing through to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup while boasting one of European football’s most miserly defences.

Joining his boyhood team was a dream come true for Eze, who told retired former striker Adebayo Akinfenwa on the latest edition of the Beast Mode On podcast: “If I use words to try and describe the feeling, it’s not doing it justice.”

On his new manager, he added: “He [Arteta] is incredible. Incredible. Attention to detail, how much I’m learning so fast, the type of player that I can see I will become in this environment, in the culture that he’s created.

“It’s a special place to be right now, for sure. He’s a special, special guy, you can see that he is driven, focused and relentless every day. He knows what it takes.

“For me, it’s the perfect type of manager to work under and I can see him getting the best out of me for sure.”

Eze was then asked to name the one player who has particularly impressed him on a day-to-day basis since joining Arsenal from FA Cup holders Palace in August.

“Everyone is sort of what you expect them to be,” he said. “And the expectation of all the players is high. I would say one player that has gone even beyond the high expectations that I already had, because I’d heard good things about him, is Jurrien Timber.

“He’s a special player and a special guy. I think for me, you’re in an environment of people and you have a culture that is geared towards improving, and these guys all want to improve.

“For me, it’s a pleasure to be part of it and to see guys like him, who perform the way they perform, carry themselves the way they carry themselves. It’s inspiring, for sure.”