Arsenal’s best starting XI as Eberechi Eze heads in – Odegaard axed
Arsenal look to have pulled off one of the swoops of the summer by beating Tottenham to the signing of Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace.
Eze has been the subject of intense speculation throughout this summer, but eventually, the two North London giants emerged as the frontrunners for his signature.
Mere days ago, Eze looked to have agreed terms with Spurs in what would have been a landmark move for the Lilywhites as they return to the Champions League this season.
However, Arsenal have pounced at the final moment, significantly strengthening their attack with a player who registered 14 goals and 12 assists across all competitions last season.
How could Arsenal line up with Eberechi Eze?
The beauty of Eze – aside from the obvious skill and productivity he brings – lies in his versatility.
Last season, the 12-time England international played almost exclusively as an attacking midfielder, but across his 169 Palace appearances as a whole, 99 have been through the middle and 55 out wide (Transfermarkt).
With that in mind, there are two distinct possibilities for Mikel Arteta when deciding where to fit Eze into his line-up.
| Crystal Palace stats | Eberechi Eze |
| Appearances | 169 |
| Goals | 40 |
| Assists | 28 |
The first is to keep Eze in the attacking midfield role that served Palace so well last season.
The 26-year-old was first among his teammates in a host of important Premier League metrics, including chances created (58), successful take-ons (67) and carries into the final third (48, FBref) – while his aforementioned goal and assist tallies were second and first at Selhurst Park, respectively.
The range of stats Eze excelled in – figuring inside the top three in many more – showed how much of a dynamic player he is, and his driving runs through midfield became a hallmark of Palace’s counter-attacks under Oliver Glasner.
Eze’s defensive numbers were rather low thanks to him effectively being given a free role in the midfield by Glasner, and to get the best out of him in this position, Arteta will have to do the same.
The question will be whether new arrival Martin Zubimendi most often takes the fall to accommodate Eze, or whether one of Declan Rice or Martin Odegaard rotates in and out.
Given the importance of the latter two, it’s option one that feels most likely — though the thought of Zubimendi holding things down while Rice bursts from box-to-box and Eze plays a maverick role is an exciting one.
Gabriel Martinelli under threat?
Of course, Eze is also superb as a winger, with his pace, trickery and end product among the very best in the Premier League.
The former QPR man is primarily right-footed and loves cutting inside to cause havoc in the final third, but is also adept at running on the outside to get crosses into the box – attempting a team-high 112 of them last season.
These qualities give him the ability to play on either flank, meaning that, for example, he and Bukayo Saka could switch sides at will.
Left wing has been seen as Arsenal’s weakest position for a while now, with Gabriel Martinelli failing to cash in fully on his considerable potential so far.
The Brazilian has managed just 14 goals in his last 69 Premier League outings following his impressive 15-goal return in 2022/23, and many now feel it’s the right time to bring someone in to compete with him on that side at the very least.
Given his pedigree and price tag, it’s almost unthinkable that Eze wouldn’t start, and Martinelli’s spot feels the most vulnerable at present.
