Arsenal's Eberechi Eze has shared that he was ready to sign for the Gunners' rivals Tottenham Hotspur before a call with Mikel Arteta sealed his move to the red side of north London. The former Crystal Palace star had agreed a move to Spurs, but when Arsenal swooped for his signature at the last moment, he never had any doubts about moving to the club he supported as a boy.
'One chat with Mik Arteta…'
On August 19, Eze had seemed set to join Spurs in a blockbuster move that would underscore the club’s ambitions under new boss Thomas Frank. Daniel Levy had all-but sewn up the minor details and the England international looked certain to make a switch to north London.
One day later, the midfielder made a final call to the Arsenal boss with a desperate plea. The FA Cup final hero had supported Arsenal as a youngster, even playing for the club’s academy, and wanted to make a late check that there was no way to move to the Emirates. By the evening, Arsenal had struck the same deal with Palace and completed the hijack of Spurs’ top transfer target to send the footballing world into meltdown.
Speaking about that phone call, Arteta explained: “That shows you how much he wanted to come. It's very different sometimes because you want to be very open and transparent with the players as they have to make decisions in their careers but I'm delighted to have him. I'm delighted to have him, I can tell how much it means to him and his whole family."
A few days later, Eze was unveiled to the raucous Gunners crowd ahead of their victory over Leeds United and, in showing the cold shoulder to their bitter local rivals, had ensured he was already considered a fan favourite.
Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesEze goes back to school
Now with a handful of games and a goal under his belt at Arsenal, Eze is a key man in the Gunners’ midfield and will face his former club on Sunday. Eze will play against Palace for the first time since making his £60 million ($81m) move and, ahead of the crucial game, returned to south London to visit a school.
As per , Eze was put in the hotseat and thrown a barrage of questions from excited students – including one pertaining to that last-minute Spurs snub. Asked whether he would have signed on the dotted line for the Lilywhites, Eze admitted that “I was prepared to go to Tottenham, but from the moment Arsenal came, it was always going to be them”.
Gazumping Spurs has already paid dividends for the Gunners, who had initially been planning to use the Englishman on the left-wing. Following the injury to Martin Odegaard, Eze has been deployed centrally in midfield and provided a creative spark that was missing from the Gunners midfield when they also lost their captain to injury last season.
Arsenal look to strengthen grip on top
Despite a string of impressive performances, Eze is yet to truly explode at Arsenal. He has chipped in with a handful of assists and scored his first goal in the Carabao Cup, but will now be looking to get on the scoresheet in the Premier League against Palace. He is no stranger to goals in this fixture either, having found the back of the net with a sumptuous volley at the Emirates last season.
Should Arteta’s men see off the Eagles, they will maintain, or potentially extend, their advantage at the top of the division. They are three points clear of second-placed Manchester City and four clear of champions Liverpool as their quest for a first Premier League title since 2004 continues.
With just three goals conceded across all competitions this season, the Arsenal defence has provided an impeccable foundation for the club’s attacking players, now featuring the mercurial Eze, to make the difference. The new Gunners’ new look attack is yet to truly fire on all cylinders, but with Eze starting to find his groove, Arsenal could start to stamp their authority on their lofty perch.
AFPA first encounter against Palace
Sunday will provide an emotional encounter to Eze, who departed the Eagles as a hero. The Englishman scored in both the semi-final and final of the FA Cup to write his name into the history books at Selhurst Park. As well as FA Cup success, he helped the club beat Liverpool to lift the Community Shield and provide the Palace fans with yet another special day at Wembley.
Despite his affinity with the club, the 27-year-old will have to avoid letting the occasion get the better of him if the Gunners are to take the maximum points available and compound Palace’s recent disappointing run of form.
