Eberechi Eze breaks 13-year Arsenal record with landmark moment vs Nottingham Forest
Eberechi Eze achieved a feat that no other player has done since Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on his first Arsenal start as the Gunners defeated Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
On 13 September, Arsenal beat Forest 3-0, thanks to Martin Zubimendi’s brace and Viktor Gyokeres’ third goal of the season.
Mikel Arteta’s men successfully bounced back from their 1-0 defeat at Liverpool on 31 August, and can now look ahead to their Champions League clash with Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday, 16 September.
Meanwhile, summer signing Eze made his first start for Arsenal against Forest, having previously featured as a substitute in the loss to Liverpool.
Eberechi Eze creates Arsenal history v Nottingham Forest
Eze played a vital role in Arsenal’s victory over Forest, producing the assist for Gyokeres’ early second-half goal.
Impressively, the England international made an assist with the first ever chance he created for the North Londoners.
By making a goal contribution, the 27-year-old became the first Englishman to score or assist on their first Premier League start for Arsenal since Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain vs Manchester United in January 2012.
Gabriel Martinelli faces an uphill battle to get back into Mikel Arteta’s starting lineup
Arteta enjoyed a successful summer transfer window, with Eze joining Arsenal from Crystal Palace, despite interest from North London rivals Tottenham.
| Eberechi Eze Arsenal stats | Premier League 2025/26 |
| Appearances (Starts) | 2 (1) |
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 1 |
Eze’s successful return of 14 goals and 12 assists in 43 appearances across all competitions for the Eagles last term suggested that he would be a major asset for the Emirates Stadium club.
Meanwhile, the 27-year-old has already shown his class for the Gunners by putting the ball on a plate for Gyokeres’ important goal against Forest.
Subsequently, fellow left-winger Gabriel Martinelli could struggle to get back into Arteta’s starting lineup, thanks to Eze’s excellence.
Furthermore, the fact that Ethan Nwaneri replaced Martin Odegaard after the playmaker suffered an injury in the first half against Forest doesn’t bode well for Martinelli.
Arteta could have opted to move Eze into the attacking midfield role after Odegaard’s setback, but instead opted to leave him out wide, ensuring that the Brazilian remained on the bench.