Tag: Eberechi Eze

Eberechi Eze hailed his “special” moment as the Arsenal star’s first-ever hat-trick inspired a 4-1 rout of north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Eze tore Tottenham to shreds with three clinical finishes after Leandro Trossard’s opener for the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium.

The 27-year-old had made a relatively slow start to life with Arsenal after his £60 million ($78 million) move from Crystal Palace in August.

But against the club he spurned to join Mikel Arteta’s team, the England midfielder produced a sublime display that fired them six points clear at the top of the Premier League.

“That’s a good one, man. Enjoyable day. Happy to help the team, and to win today was special,” Eze said. “It is special. Words can’t explain this one today.”

Rejected by Arsenal as a teenager, Eze has made it back to the top after a long and winding career that now sees him established as one of English football’s elite talents.

Devoutly religious, Eze attributed his man-of-the-match display to his faith. He had scored only twice in 15 previous appearances for Arsenal, but this stunning performance underlined what Tottenham missed out on.

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“I prayed for it. This is what I pray for. I prayed for a hat-trick so I am grateful to God,” Eze said.

“That was the prayer today. God gave it to me, and that is faith, man. All my family is here, and that makes it even more special for me.”

Eze’s brilliance was a huge boost to Arsenal’s bid for a first English title since 2004 after three successive runners-up finishes.

It was the first hat-trick in a north London derby since 1978 and only the fourth in the long history of the bitter derby rivalry.

Asked which of the three goals was his best, Eze picked his second, which came with a clinical finish just 35 seconds after half-time.

“They are all good. Maybe the second one. That was my favourite,” he said.

“All of them are good for me because I have been working on the process to get in that position, so that’s good again.”

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New recruit Eberechi Eze will create “magic moments” and take Arsenal to a different level, according to Gunners manager Mikel Arteta.

Eze was presented to the Emirates crowd shortly before Arsenal’s 5-0 thrashing of Leeds that took the north London club to the top of the Premier League table early in the season.

The England international has signed a four-year contract in a deal that could be worth up to £68 million ($92 million) after Arsenal scuppered his proposed move to their arch north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

The 27-year-old did not arrive in time to face Leeds, but with both Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard sustaining injuries in Arsenal’s second win in as many matches, Eze could be handed his Gunners debut against reigning champions Liverpool at Anfield next Sunday.

“He (Eze) has the capacity to create these magic moments,” said Arteta.

“He can do it from different positions, different situations. He’s got that flair and he’s got that charisma about him that is very contagious.

“It shows how much we want to take this club to a different level. His talent is unquestionable. He’s experienced in this league. The personality is unbelievable.

“He can play different positions. We know he can play as an attacking midfielder, right or left. He doesn’t care. And you can tell that what happened on that pitch (before the game) meant the world to him, so I am delighted to have him.”

Eze becomes Arsenal’s seventh signing of the summer transfer window, where they have now spent some £250 million following the arrivals of Viktor Gyokeres, Cristhian Mosquera, Martin Zubimendi, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard, and Noni Madueke.

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Arsenal have finished second in the Premier League for each of the past three seasons and last won a trophy five years ago.

But Eze’s signing is a further indication of their determination to end a 22-year wait for the Premier League title.

His return to boyhood club Arsenal comes with Eze assured of a place in Crystal Palace history after scoring the winning goal in the Eagles’ FA Cup final victory against Manchester City in May to secure the south London club’s first major trophy.

Saka and Odegaard sustained hamstring and shoulder injuries, respectively, against Leeds.

Saka missed three-and-a-half months of last season after surgery on his right hamstring –on Saturday, he injured his left hamstring- while club captain Odegaard was also absent for 12 matches with an ankle problem as injuries derailed Arsenal’s quest for silverware.

The duo will undergo scans on Sunday to discover the extent of their latest setbacks, with Arteta adding: “You just have to see the amount of minutes that the team played in 2023/24. You could name the starting XI.

“Last year, it was a bit different because of the amount of injuries we had, and the start to this season has not been great in that sense.

“But we are much more equipped, without a doubt – and that’s necessary. If you want to compete at this level and be very dominant, there is not any other option.”

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