1 hour ago
20
Eberechi Eze has answered the call from Mikel Arteta as Arsenal must find unity to hunt down Premier League and Champions League title
What Mikel Arteta said after the defeat to Bournemouth has taken a few days to sink in. The Arsenal manager was asked about nerves and tension, but instead of talking about that, he spoke about something else.
Injuries have again plagued Arsenal’s season, even more so than in 2024/25 when they effectively claimed the club’s ability to compete. The difference has been that the squad has the strength in depth to deal with them better.
But that has not stopped them from happening as frequently, which naturally raises questions. Arteta said post-Bournemouth that the priority has to be having his best players available.
“We need everything,” he said. “We need, first of all, we need everybody fit and available.
FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
“So the ones that are not involved, the ones that are not with us, that are really big, important players, we need them immediately with us because then we're going to be much stronger. And then the other ones, they need to stand up.
“Me, the first one, and embrace this challenge and go for it. So today we have to suffer. It's painful. It's a terrible feeling.
“Tomorrow is a different day. And if somebody would have said to me in August, we are in this position right now in April, I'm sure we would all take it.”
Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Riccardo Calafiori, Jurrien Timber and Mikel Merino are currently out injured. Eberechi Eze returned to the squad for the game against Bournemouth even if he was only available from the bench.
While he didn’t have a key impact, there were some good moments, particular in winning a couple of key duels before driving forward. Arteta said recently he had learned new things about him.
But this came during the recent period he had been absent through injury. Arteta could not have been more praising of the summer signing.
“He has,” Arteta said when asked if he had returned to training. “But my first conversation with him after he felt that niggle, he wanted to be available the next week.
“We knew that that was impossible, but the recovery, I think the will that he's shown from day one to get back as quick as possible, how he's pushed the medical staff and himself to be there tomorrow, it's just great to watch.”
Arteta was pushed further on the 27-year-old and asked what aspects he had understood of him during this time he was out. The answer was one of the manager’s most insightful and detailed on a player, which, on the topic of injury, is not something he tends to go so in-depth on.
“Great question. One of them, I didn't know that he was so determined, so obsessed, and so willing to push his body. I didn't know that part of him, and it really surprised me in a really powerful way.
"How much he loves the game. When you take somebody's opportunity to play, you really see their reaction. His was, wow! How involved he was in and around the team, the energy that he brings every day in the building.
"And then we use that time as well, obviously, to identify areas where he can impact the game, get his opinion wide and open about what he sees himself, what he's more comfortable, what he sees about the team. And I think we use that time in a really good way."
It is clear that Eze has grown massively in Arteta’s estimation since the turn of the year. Many point back to the game against Aston Villa when he was hooked at half-time after having a nightmare defensively on the left.
It feels like things have changed, and maybe a return to the left flank is on the cards. He was playing a lot off the left when he came on against Bournemouth even despite Leandro Trossard being on the field.
Just to hammer the point home, in the same press conference pre-match, he was asked about Merino, who could yet play again this season despite the odds. The Spaniard has been working extremely hard behind the scenes.
“Well, he's another one that is going to push every boundary,” Arteta said. “He's out of his boot now, he's doing quite a lot of exercises already.
“He's reacted really well to the surgery; he's got no pain. It's more for the medical staff to go a bit further on that but I'm sure there is a chance to make that period shorter if there is a person that can do it. I'm sure that's going to be Mikel again.”
If Arsenal are to win this title, their team needs to unite and fight with what the likes of Eze and Merino are showing. If everyone can, a title might indeed be rescued from this dip in form.
English (US) ·