Attacking is EZE with Eberechi: Arsenal’s options up-front

TotalArsenal

The announcement of the signing of Eze is imminent, and I think this is great news.

The much reported story of Eberechi’s love and attachment to Arsenal on the one hand, and all his qualities on the other hand makes me believe Arsenal have signed a top player. I don’t think Arsenal can make real progress by relying on Odegaard and the still so inexperienced Nwaneri in the middle and Trossard and Martinelli on the left. Madueke was a good signing to provide cover for Saka; Eze is next level given his age and PL experience. He is ready to rock and I reckon he is the missing link in our attack.

I can see Arsenal start with the following attack (Zubi/Norgaard – Rice/Merino behind them in midfield):

  1. GOES: Eze – Ode – Gyo – Sak (3-1): two aggressive flanks with power, speed and dribbling skills, Ode has options left and right and through the middle; Viktor gets great service.
  2. GEMS1: Madu – Eze – Gyo – Sak (3-1): two aggressive flanks with natural wingers, Eze offers drive and power through the middle and a great shot from outside the box, Viktor will be spoiled.
  3. SEGH: Eze – Gyo+ Hav – Saka (2-2): As above but now Havertz and Gyokeres will alternate through the middle and offer combined strengths in the box/ defences will not know what is hitting them.
  4. GEMS2: Eze – Saka – Gyo – Madu (3-1): Saka in the nr10 position to feed Eze, Gyo and Madu: players interchange and bamboozle the opposition, goals from all over the pitch and box.

The above combo’s can be further strengthen by starting one or two of Martinelli, Merino, Trossard, Nelson, Nwaneri or Dowman instead of one or two of the above. Our options are many.

It would be good to hear what my fellow BKers think of the Eze signing and what it will do to our attack (and all readers please comment). I anticipate that a few will worry about the potential lack of opportunity to play football in our first team for the likes of Nwaneri, Dowman and Nelson. These new arrivals will certainly make it harder for them, but, as MLS and Ethan showed last season, if young players get a chance and they grab it, Mikel will play them. It is a long season with plenty of games, and I for one am very, very happy to have such a strong squad now. Bring it on.

By TotalArsenal.

33 thoughts on “Attacking is EZE with Eberechi: Arsenal’s options up-front”

  • I saw what you dis there with the Header, TA. 👍

    The fact one is yet to find one Arsenal fan who isn’t excited about Eze’s signing says it all. The man will improve us on the unpredictability front and take us levels higher. I know the pressure for silverware will go up a notch and pundits will ramp it up to distract the team spirit, if we falter during the season, but the lads should just stay focused because Arsenal will win trophies as it is set up now. Eze is just the icing on the cake.

    I won’t have a problem seeing him start ahead of Martinelli because that’s what good players do: they adapt. He can play from the wings. He can also play as a 10, so Odegaard had better improve or find his place potentially up for grabs. Eberechi Eze will help us improve. I expect to see the team flying right after the first international break as we gel the new players fully.

  • did there**

    Oh, snapping him from the Jaws of the Spuddies makes it the more sweeter, this signing. 🤣

  • Well, with the news that Kai is off for a while, adding EZE will definitely fill a potential space up front. Arteta is the past master at using players off the bench to change and control the time remaining. We are building a formidable and very fast team with the capacity to break down any defensive formation. Our ability to shoot from distance or to finish on the goal line is impressive. I watched City and the spuds and both have good teams but they don’t seem to be able to finish well against equivalent opposition. Liverpool, as always are very dynamic and will be a real test of our teamwork and attack-defense capabilities. That said, we seem to have what many others lack; team chemistry.

  • https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cn85d82q55zo

    Thanks Total. One of the regrets I had over the past few years is that Unai never managed to get the Zaha transfer over the line. For some reason (long proven wrong) Pepe was preferred and the rest is history. Eze, like Wilfried is a Gooner from boyhood, was reared in the churches and the football cages of South London, brilliant on the ball with dribbling and shooting skills he will light up our Arsenal with style and a smile to match our starboy Bukuyu. Amongst all of the brilliant signings of the summer, this, for me is the one which shines the brightest.

    No clarity on our Kai yet. Love him as a player and hoping for his quick recovery.

    Paqueta doing the business v Chelsea. The morning is just getting better…

  • I don’t think there’s much hesitation to have about the looks of our setup this season, T., tbh (one at RB, maybe) … I’d bet a lot on (and not win much!!):
    (A)
    Raya
    Timber (White) – Saliba – Gabriel – Calafiori
    Zubimendi – Rice
    Saka – Ødegaard – Eze
    Gyökeres

    (B)
    Kepa
    White – Mosquera – Kiwior – LewisSkelly
    Nørgaard – Merino
    Madueke – Nwaneri – Trossard (Martinelli)
    Havertz (Jesus)

    Lokonga- Vieira will soon be off; Hein is, already. As far as the bench is concerned the question is will Zinchenko stay or will Zinchenko go (I hope he’ll stay …}. The only possible disturbing factor to this order of things will be the extent of Dowman’s progress, otherwise …
    Look, guys, I don’t want to delve into our history, I guess it will be done elsewhere anyway, but I just can’t remember when I last had such a feeling of a strong, balanced, squad. Eze’s signing, and its Spuds-humiliating circumstances, is of course the cherry on the cake of a rare summer of great business. EE’s homecoming story is already such stuff as Netflix documentaries are made of. Should the lad bring us either the PL or the CL (or both!!), and you might as well add a chapter to Campbell’s “The Hero with a 1000 faces”. I’ll tell you what, mates, his signing sent a tingling up along my spine I hadn’t felt in I just don’t know how long.
    As we follow through the many versions of our beloved club, we all have our moments of doubt, our disappointments; reality (injuries, refereeing, awful luck, etc. ) might catch up with us at some point but right now, f..k it!
    Let’s all get elated for at least a short while!!
    COYG

  • Saw the briefest of brief highlights from West Ham vs Chelsea and of course VAR messed up. West Ham scored a great opener but Chelsea equalised, then West Ham had a second goal chalk off for a narrow off-side that VAR got involved in, strangely enough VA R failed to act on the blatant foul on a West Ham player leading up to Chelsea’s second goal, money talks I guess, the rest was just what the money men wanted as Chelsea won 1-5…

    As for Eze, well he’s going to face a stiff baptism at the home of the Bullshit club and after OT I suspect to see PGMOL shenanigans galore in Scouseland.

    Great signing, but we need our players staying fit otherwise it’ll be for nothing!

  • Yes Eris, the pressure on winning will be even higher. Rather than it being seen as an achievement to finish 2nd three years in a row, it has led to criticism and sky-high expectations: the curse of being ‘the first loser’.

    But Arteta, with of always necessary luck, will deliver sooner or later.

    I also think that the club will not need to spend anymore for a while, other than straight replacement, if required.

  • Nice to hear from you, OMGunners

    “We are building a formidable and very fast team with the capacity to break down any defensive formation”

    Spot on.

  • Stu, the Zaha comparison is a great. I agree that Eberechi is a great signing for all the reasons you give. The fact that it has the blessing of the Palace supporters also tells us a lot. Can’t wait to see him in red and white.

  • Legall, love this:

    “I’ll tell you what, mates, his signing sent a tingling up along my spine I hadn’t felt in I just don’t know how long.”

    Agreed re lineup but Odegaard may need a break – not physically but mentally. The pressure seems so high on him. With Eze, and Ethan in the background, we have cover/necessary challenge now.

  • Eberechi Eze looked emotional at his unveiling, especially when he appeared to steal a glance at his Arsenal supporting family high up in the stands.

    Some of the players came onto the pitch with their kids too. Nice touch. Now, onto the game. Let’s hope for goals.
    COYG!!

  • Leeds have weathered the storm that was our fast start and are now showing threats of their own. The game suits Madueke since we are home and should largely be on the front foot.

    Odegaard seems to have trouble with his shoulder already. He’s been influential so far and hopefully can continue. Looks like Nwaneri is coming on to replace him. Sad because it affects the balance we are familiar with.

  • Half time.
    It is just the kind of game to introduce Madueke since we were always going to be on the offense and needing decisive wing play. Before he had to leave, Odegaard made his presence felt, along with Timber (so sure footed and what a threaded pass to Saka) and Calafiori.

    Clearly, we are still trying to get Gyokeres involved and for me, all it takes is his first goal; he fluffed his lines when he got a good chance, probably not realising he had time. That man will get goals and I think it should come today, as Leeds come out to play.

  • Will Total last all season with one post-game title, and one only? The bets are on …
    Having said that our first open-play goal of the season was a sight for sore eyes, what a delightfully weighted assist from Jurrien this was – what a player!
    Gyö will get more headlines than he wishes for tomorrow. The poor lad … each and every one of his runs, of his touches, leaves a trail of self-doubt in its wake. Let’s all pray for him to get a tap-in asap, that’s all he needs right now.
    What a shame Declan doesn’t get 0.5 goal for each of his successful CKs, they’re things of beauty and deserve to go down in the history of this club as more than simple “assists”. Huge half ahead for Ethan indeed; by the look of his first touches I’d say he has something special in store for us …
    COYG

  • Timber on a roll!! Set Piece again, Ole Ole!! 🎵😅 4-0!

    VAR trying to get in the way, but nothing doing.

  • Three halves into the season.
    White, Nørgaard, Havertz, Jesus, Ødegaard, Saka are out.
    Will the nightmare ever end?
    Might be a good idea to keep Zinchenko-Lokonga-Vieira-Nelson on the payroll …
    Will Dowman get a cameo was the question; 63:28, yes he does. C’mon kiddo, “youngest goalscorer in the history of AFC” is up for grabs now!

  • Now, it’s going to be a day out for the kids.
    May help to add one or two more goals and build team confidence better.

    All about keeping the clean sheet too.

  • Stu, I see that we’ve signed another quality footballer in Eze who when introduced to the crowd waved, blew kisses and pointed up, I guess his return proves that if you trust in the Lord, good things happen…

    LG, who knows if the clubs’ business has ended or not, still 7 days to bring in a replacement for Kiwior if he leaves, maybe Jaquet?

  • They ultimately do, Kev. Even if that journey takes you through some deep waters, valleys and dark nights. For many those good things are found in the life to come, some like our Eze (doesn’t that roll off the tongue) find dreams coming true in this life.
    Love this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oKLeI64aHE

    I’m with you, LG. Total has a new lease of life, and I can see a plethora of fresh posts rolling off his keyboard as the season unfolds, unlocking our own hearts, unchaining our own pens, unveiling our own hopes, spilling our own blood on the tracks, or all over the page…

  • Kev, I’ve asked about Jacquet to guys who watch a lot more of Ligue 1 than myself, and follow through what’s going on inside the most successful French academies (Rennes is one of them, maybe the very best).
    All of them tell me that the kid (who is from Bondy, just like BigBill, Mbappé, etc.) is eerily reminiscent of Saliba at the same age . He even naturally slots into midfield when his team gains possession, and his footwork, skills, vision, work wonders there too.
    Signing him up would be massive, it’d turn this TW into something verging on the insane, but the thing is Rennes wont let him slip away on the cheap. They have a new coach – Habib Beye, who spent 2-3 seasons way back in Newcastle and Villa – who is extremely ambitious, and his setup is rumoured to rely heavily on what his wonderkid brings to it …
    A big check plus Kiwior might do the trick, though. All of Europe now knows how reliable our Polish lad is, so that there’s no way Rennes/Beye could feel we’re trying to con them. As for Jakub himself, I don’t think he looks forward to going back to bench-warming for us again, while it shouldn’t be too difficult to talk 20-y-o Jérémie into regarding these few “watch and learn” months as a necessary stage in his PL career …
    Who knows? I, for one, have started feeling like a kid finding a Golden Ticket in a Wonka Bar, lately, so …
    (Wonderful clip, (and song), Stu!)

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