Arsenal’s hijack of Eberechi Eze adds to a remarkable transfer window in which they have significantly improved their squad. With additions such as Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyökeres, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Yerson Mosquera, Christian Nørgaard and now Eze, Mikel Arteta—who has been managing the club since late 2019—has taken his transfer spend to just over £1bn, €778m of which has been spent since his last major trophy. During his tenure, Manchester City and Liverpool have largely dominated the league, winning six titles between them.
Excuses have been made for Arteta since he took over from interim boss Freddie Ljungberg and permanent manager Unai Emery. Some pointed to the poor squad assembled under Emery, even though Arteta went on to win the FA Cup with that group. However, three second-place finishes, alongside eighth- and fifth-place campaigns, have culminated in the Arsenal faithful demanding more.
The acquisition of Eze has led many to conclude that Arteta must deliver major silverware this season. Despite stiff competition from Liverpool and Manchester City, many believe Arteta now has the tools to usurp these two clubs and win Arsenal’s first Premier League title in over two decades.
Former Scotland, Celtic and Chelsea midfielder Craig Burley told ESPN FC:
“I think this is a brilliant move for both (Eze and Arsenal). As James said, Tottenham was a destination for him because he felt there wasn’t another big move. But this is a fit for me because he improves Arsenal and I think he plays. He can play in two or three different positions. He’s a quality footballer, I really like him. You only have to watch Crystal Palace and England over the last couple of years to see that.
He’s different to what they’ve got in the wide areas. Martinelli is all about pace, and if Eze plays on the left I think he drifts a little bit. As James said, he can also play in that No.10 role. His end product is very good, he’s great on the ball. If you watched him in the Chelsea game in particular, and the Liverpool game, he was brilliant at taking the ball in with a couple of big guys very tight to him. We saw his finish in the cup final (against Man City).
At the Community Shield there were times he was taking the ball in areas where I thought, ‘Right, he’s got nowhere to go here, he’s got two centre-halves and defenders really pinning him in,’ and the way he just took the ball, did a little nutmeg and got out—it was terrific. I think he gives this Arsenal team something different.
In my opinion, in the big games last year, Martin Ødegaard was a little lightweight. He’s a good player, but I think Eze can put pressure on him. I’m not suggesting he’ll be dropped, but needs must—Eze can play in any position across the front line.”
On what this means for Arsenal’s season, Burley continued:
“We saw that graphic you put up about the players that have come in. This is no-excuse time for Mikel Arteta. This is as good an Arsenal squad as they’ve had for years. They’ve been in a good position the last couple of years, but they’ve really packed this squad with real quality. Quality players who can come in if, for example, Saka is out for three to four months like last season. They have the depth now. That means Arteta has got to deliver, make sure Gyökeres is scoring, and all the other facets are firing on all cylinders.”
James Olley agreed, saying that the Arsenal board were happy with the squad even before Eze was signed. He mentioned that they did their business early, to Arteta’s satisfaction. His previous complaints about squad depth, robustness, and the lack of a proper No.9 have all been resolved by the board.
Olley also highlighted that Arsenal spent £52m on Madueke, a player who might not even start, which marked a huge departure from their usual cautious business model. That showed the board’s expectations of Arteta this season. They also prioritised players who are ready now—such as Gyökeres—rather than “project” signings like Benjamin Šeško.
Even though former Newcastle goalkeeper Shaka Hislop had doubts about Arsenal leapfrogging Liverpool and Man City to win the league, Craig Burley argued that both City and Liverpool had issues of their own, such as bedding in new players and fixing defensive problems.
It’s fair to say that this season is Arteta’s last chance to truly deliver.
