Arsenal vs Tottenham: Stage set for Eberechi Eze to make his mark after Spurs transfer hijack | OneFootball

Summer signing can truly announce his arrival with statement performance in north London derby

Spurs were chasing his signature during the summer transfer window as they looked to bring in an attacking midfielder following a long-term knee injury sustained by James Maddison.

Talks were underway between Crystal Palace and Tottenham when Eze phoned Mikel Arteta to see if Arsenal would come to the table.

In a matter of days, the Gunners swooped to get their man from under the noses of their arch-rivals.

It is no surprise that Eze made that call. He is a boyhood Arsenal fan and, after being released by the club’s academy at the age of 13, had always dreamed of coming back.

Arsenal had tracked the midfielder for a number of years and Eze was well aware of that, wondering if a move would become a reality.

Arteta is convinced that the best is yet to come from Eze at Arsenal

“This is more a realisation of a dream,” he said on the Beast Mode On podcast this week.

“Every year I would be like: ‘Okay, these guys are interested, but are these guys interested?’ I am asking that question.”

Eze has made a steady start since returning to Arsenal, scoring twice and chipping in with two assists.

His first few appearances came on the left flank, but increasingly the 27-year-old has played centrally to fill the void left by the injured Martin Odegaard.

Arteta being able to turn to a player of Eze’s experience has underlined the strength in depth Arsenal have this season, and why they brought in the England star.

The club’s recruitment team believed he would add another dimension to Arsenal’s attack, while they were also fans of his versatility.

It was believed that Eze could be used centrally, or out wide on either flank, and that has been the case over his first few months at Arsenal.

There is still a sense, however, that the attacking midfielder is yet to have that game which truly announces his arrival.

He scored a brilliant winning goal against Palace last month, but the fact that it was his old club meant that he could not really celebrate such a moment. Eze’s other goal came away to Port Vale in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

Arteta is convinced the best is yet to come and, with time, that Eze will show why Arsenal parted with over £60million to sign him.

“Those relations you have to build and a creative player needs to understand that,” said Arteta. “It’s all about connections and timing and about being in flow.

“He’s playing in a different position, the more he’s settled in one of the positions and has had to interact with players a bit more freely, which he’s doing at the moment, his natural talent will come out and he will have an even bigger impact on the team.”

A north London derby feels like the perfect stage for Eze to really make his mark. As a child, this is a game he would have been dreaming about playing and scoring in.

On target: Eze’s only Premier League goal for Arsenal to date was an inventive match-winner against former club Crystal Palace

AFP via Getty Images

The fact Spurs were so keen to sign Eze in the summer only adds to the narrative, as does the fact that Arsenal are set to welcome back a number of attacking players.

Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres are all due to return over the coming weeks.

It will lead to competition for places in attacking areas heating up and rotation is likely over the busy festive period.

Eze has started the last six Premier League games in a row and he may find it hard to enjoy a similar run going forward if Arteta has a full set of attackers to choose from.

That only adds to the desire for him to properly announce his arrival against Tottenham. The cavalry are coming, but Eze will want to show that he can still lead the charge.