THE NORTH LONDON KING: HOW EBERECHI EZE BECAME A DERBY LEGEND IN FOUR MONTHS
Mikel Arteta insists Eberechi Eze "belongs" at Arsenal as the Gunners continue their historic hunt for a 2026 quadruple.
Mikel Arteta says Eberechi Eze doesn’t need any extra motivation as he settles in at Arsenal after leaving Crystal Palace.
Back in November, Eze made headlines by becoming the first player to score a Premier League hat-trick in a north London derby. He starred last Sunday again, scoring twice as Arsenal tore through Tottenham 4-1.
Still, Eze’s form between those two big games has been up and down. Arteta admits he’s still learning what makes Eze tick, both on the pitch and off it.
“Motivation’s never been an issue,” Arteta said. “Honestly, if you have to motivate a player, you’ve got a problem. Motivation’s just talk; someone can fire you up for a minute, maybe an hour, but that’s it.
“The real motivation for Eze is why he came here in the first place. He really feels like he belongs at this club. Everything else comes down to the moments in your career, especially when you move somewhere new. You’ve got to figure it out and do everything you can to make it work.”
Eze faced some criticism after a mistake in December’s 2-1 loss to Aston Villa, and since Arsenal beat Wolves in mid-December, he’s only started two league games.
He’s always tended to find his best attacking form later in the season, and Arteta wants to see that happen again, especially with Arsenal still fighting for a historic quadruple.
Arteta hasn’t ruled out moving Eze back to the left wing down the line. “He can do it,” he said. “Now he’s got more experience, more games, and a better sense of what’s needed to make a difference. I hope he really takes off from here until the end of the season.”
Meanwhile, Viktor Gyokeres scored Arsenal’s other two goals against Spurs, bringing his total to 15 in all competitions after a slow start since joining from Sporting Lisbon last summer.
Some have started comparing Gyokeres’ numbers to Didier Drogba’s first season at Chelsea. Drogba finished that year with just one more goal and went on to haunt Arsenal for years.
Asked if those comparisons are fair, Arteta shrugged. “It’s always about who you compare with. I might have a beautiful apartment, but if someone else has a mansion, suddenly my place feels small.
“But I can still be proud because I worked hard for my apartment, paid off the debts, fixed it up, and have a great kitchen. Then I visit his mansion and feel bad. It just depends on how you look at things.
“So sure, Viktor can get better. But what he’s done so far matters.”
BOURNEMOUTH SHOCK ARSENAL 2-1; ALEX SCOTT HITS 74TH-MINUTE WINNER TO STUN LEAGUE LEADERS
Arsenal fall 2-1 to Bournemouth. Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott secure the shock win to ignite Man City’s title hopes.
Arsenal took a painful hit in the Premier League title chase on Saturday, falling 2-1 at home against Bournemouth. That loss cracked the door open for Manchester City to keep dreaming about overtaking the longtime leaders. Things looked shaky from the start at the Emirates. Junior Kroupi gave Bournemouth an early lead, and even though Arsenal managed to equalise through a Viktor Gyokeres penalty before halftime, they never got their groove back.
Mikel Arteta threw on more attacking players early in the second half, but Arsenal just couldn't break down Andoni Iraola’s lively Bournemouth side. Then, in the 74th minute, Alex Scott finished off a slick passing move, smashing the ball past David Raya to steal the lead again.
Arsenal pressed for another equaliser, but nothing stuck. In the end, it was only their second league loss at home all season, a real setback at a critical stage.
Now, with six games left, Arsenal still sit nine points ahead of City in second. They're desperate for their first Premier League trophy since 2004, but things suddenly feel a lot tighter. If Guardiola’s side beats Chelsea on Sunday and then topples the Gunners at the Etihad next week, that lead drops to just three points.
Arsenal came into this game on a high after edging Sporting Lisbon 1-0 in the Champions League quarterfinal midweek. But they looked oddly flat against Bournemouth, who moved the ball better and showed more energy right from kickoff.
That first Bournemouth goal in the 17th minute was smart team play; Ryan Christie threaded a perfect pass to Adrien Truffert, whose cross bounced off William Saliba and landed neatly for Kroupi to tap in. At 19, Kroupi became the first teenager since Robbie Keane in 1999/2000 to hit 10 Premier League goals in his debut season.
Kai Havertz missed a golden opportunity moments later, sending a header over the bar and adding to the frustration inside the stadium. Still, Arsenal caught a break in the 35th minute, Gyokeres buried a penalty after Christie’s handball.
Arteta, often accused of playing it too safe, tried to shake things up after halftime by sending on Eberechi Eze, teenage debutant Max Dowman, and Leandro Trossard. It didn't work. Arsenal ran out of ideas, resorting to hopeful long balls toward Gyokeres, who missed another late chance.
It’s hard to believe that just a few weeks ago, Arsenal were chasing that rare quadruple before being knocked out by City in the League Cup final and then by Southampton in the FA Cup. They’re still favourites for the league, but with City holding two games in hand and a trip to Chelsea coming up, that title race feels far from over.
DAVID RAYA GUARANTEES CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GLORY FOLLOWING MASSIVE QUARTER-FINAL FIRST-LEG VICTORY
Kai Havertz and David Raya inspire Arsenal to a 1-0 win over Sporting. Read the Champions League reaction and Raya's bold claim.
Kai Havertz feels something incredible is brewing at Arsenal. After David Raya confidently said he’s “100 percent” sure the Gunners can win the Champions League, Havertz delivered a dramatic stoppage-time goal against Sporting Lisbon, giving Arsenal the edge in their quarter-final tie before next week’s second leg at the Emirates.
Things were tense heading into Tuesday’s match at the Jose Alvalade Stadium. The team had just lost two games in a row for the first time this season, so their momentum was hanging by a thread. But that late 1-0 win flipped the mood completely, suddenly fueling Arteta’s squad with hope they won’t finish the season empty-handed.
Havertz admitted, “That win was huge. We’ve all been frustrated these last few weeks. But now’s the moment to move forward, stay positive, and stick together. As a group players, staff, fans we can still make something happen. This season can still turn into something special. That’s what we’re aiming for, and now we just need to keep winning games.”
The man behind much of Tuesday’s success? Goalkeeper David Raya. The Spaniard was controversially benched for both of Arsenal’s cup defeats against Manchester City and Southampton, but after coming back into the lineup, he put on a show, making a stunning early save against Maxi Araujo and stepping up with two more crucial stops before Havertz’s late goal.
Raya’s clean sheet was his 22nd in 41 games so far no other goalkeeper in Europe’s top five leagues has more. After the match, Raya didn’t hold back with his confidence, saying Arsenal not only will reach their second-straight Champions League semi-final (a first in club history), but could go on to win the whole thing.
He told Amazon Prime, “We believe completely we can win it. We have to take it step by step, game by game, and keep showing what we’re made of. Belief matters; if you don’t believe, you won’t win, so you keep believing, no matter what. After two losses, we had to learn from them, use that pain to push ourselves and get better every day. That’s important, and that’s the message we need to send.”
Arsenal jump back into Premier League action this Saturday, hosting Bournemouth. With a win, they could stretch their lead over Manchester City from nine points to 12. City face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge the next day, so the pressure’s on.
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