For weeks, the football rumor mill buzzed with talk of Eberechi Eze’s impending move to Tottenham Hotspur. The deal, by all accounts, was done and dusted. Spurs fans were already imagining the former Crystal Palace maestro as the beating heart of their midfield, orchestrating attacks from the coveted No. 10 position. But in a dramatic twist that has set tongues wagging across North London, Eze picked up the phone and made a last-minute call—straight to Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta.
According to James McNicholas of The Athletic, Eze didn’t just reach out to Arteta; he also lobbied his England teammates already at Arsenal, urging them to push the club’s hierarchy for his arrival. It was a bold move, one fueled by childhood dreams and the lure of playing for a club he’d always admired. Within days, the Gunners swooped in, signing Eze from Crystal Palace for a hefty £68 million (about $91 million). The transfer sent shockwaves through the Premier League, not least because it left Tottenham scrambling to fill the creative void—a task they quickly handed to Xavi Simons.
But as football often reminds us, dreams rarely come without risk. Eze’s Arsenal debut arrived swiftly, as he was named among the substitutes for the Gunners’ heavyweight clash against Liverpool at Anfield on August 31, 2025. With Arsenal missing key attackers—star forward Bukayo Saka sidelined for several weeks due to a hamstring injury and Kai Havertz also absent—Arteta turned to his new signing in the second half, hoping for a spark.
Stepping onto the hallowed Anfield turf with just 20 minutes left, Eze’s assignment was clear: inject creativity and, if possible, find the back of the net. Instead of slotting into his favored No. 10 role, Eze was deployed out wide on the left, with Martin Odegaard’s return from injury limiting his opportunities in the center. The Gunners pressed for an equalizer, but Liverpool’s defense stood firm, and Arsenal ultimately fell 1-0.
After the final whistle, the spotlight fell squarely on Eze—not for a moment of magic, but for a missed opportunity. Arteta, never one to mince words, singled out his new signing in his post-match comments to Sky Sports: “You have to put the ball in the back of the net. Today we have three, four, five situations inside the box 1v1. Eze is completely through just to finish the action. You have to put the ball in the net if you want to win.”
It was a stinging critique, especially for a player making his debut under immense pressure. For Tottenham fans, the scene was all too predictable. Many had argued that Eze would have flourished under new Spurs boss Thomas Frank, who reportedly earmarked him for the central playmaker role—a position now filled by Xavi Simons. In Frank’s system, Eze would have been the undisputed creative hub, the player through whom everything flowed. Instead, he found himself on the periphery for Arsenal, both literally and figuratively.
Arsenal’s starting lineup at Anfield reflected the club’s recent injury woes: David Raya in goal, a back four of Jurrien Timber, Gabriel, William Saliba, and Riccardo Calafiori; a midfield trio of Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice, and Mikel Merino; and a front line featuring Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli, and Viktor Gyokeres. On the bench, alongside Eze, were Leandro Trossard, Ethan Nwaneri, and even 15-year-old Max Dowman—a testament to the club’s reliance on youth in a challenging moment.
Yet, for all the tactical shuffling, Arteta remained effusive about Eze’s qualities in his pre-match press conference. “Really impressed with him,” Arteta said. “I heard a lot of things about him, I spoke to a lot of people about him. Really bright, very special energy, a special aura around him and he’s really willing. He’s already gathered a lot of information on the things that we want to see on the pitch. But especially, making sure that he has the freedom and the capacity to express his quality, which is the reason why we brought him here.”
Arteta went on to emphasize the importance of versatility given Arsenal’s injury-ravaged squad: “We have options in that position and that’s a good thing that we have this year. We have a lot of players now that can play in different positions and they can fill gaps when we have them. Looking at the start of the season that we have already had with injuries, that’s going to be very necessary. So I’m very happy to have the ability to do that.”
Despite the manager’s praise, the reality of Eze’s debut was a tough pill to swallow. Not only was he thrust into an unfamiliar role, but he also became the focal point of post-match criticism. The juxtaposition was stark: a player hailed for his “special aura” and ability to “pick teams apart” left to ponder what might have been had he chosen Spurs, where he would have been the main man in the middle.
The move has also reignited debate among supporters and pundits alike. Was Eze right to follow his heart to Arsenal, even if it meant sacrificing the starring role he would have enjoyed at Tottenham? Or did he underestimate the challenges of breaking into a Gunners side packed with attacking talent and tactical nuance? The comparisons to Cole Palmer’s transformation at Chelsea—another young English talent who left Manchester City to become the centerpiece elsewhere—are hard to ignore.
Meanwhile, Tottenham fans are already looking ahead, buoyed by the arrival of Xavi Simons. There’s a sense of relief that their new manager’s vision remains intact, even if Eze slipped through their fingers at the eleventh hour. For Arsenal, the hope is that Eze can adapt quickly, find his rhythm, and eventually make the No. 10 position his own. But with Arteta’s penchant for tactical experimentation and a squad brimming with options, nothing is guaranteed.
For now, the saga remains unfinished. Eze’s Arsenal adventure has only just begun, and the spotlight will only intensify as the season unfolds. Will he rise to the occasion and fulfill his potential, or will he become just another piece in Arteta’s intricate puzzle? One thing’s for sure: North London will be watching closely, every step of the way.
As the dust settles on a dramatic week, both Arsenal and Tottenham are moving forward—one with a new playmaker eager to prove himself, the other with a fresh face ready to take center stage. For Eze, the next chapter is his to write.
