Although Arsenal attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze scored five goals in two games against Tottenham Hotspur to sink the Lilywhites in the 2025/26 Premier League season, that was the high point for a player who proceeded to score only 2 more goals in his 30 other league appearances in his first season with the Gunners.
Eze chose to join Arsenal at the last second despite flirting with Tottenham for weeks. Spurs had everything agreed for Eze to be their new No. 10 and the centerpiece of a new attacking project with Mohammed Kudus on the wings, but he chose the club that already denied him in his youth, wanting to bring things full circle for his Arsenal dream.
While Eze won the Premier League with Arsenal last season, he had very little to do with that result. This season, Eze is frustrating Arsenal even more and really struggling to find a foothold in the team, and the addition of Christos Tzolis in the summer transfer window from Club Brugge has made Eze even more obsolete; he can't even say that he has a track as an option on the left wing.
Eberechi Eze is becoming a pain for Mikel Arteta, and there is a clear clash in philosophy between the playmaking, skillfull England international and the overly defensive Spanish manager. Arteta wants grit, possession, and a player who will play it safe, while Eze wants to be creative, roam, and take risks. And every time Eze takes risks or does not make the defensive play Arteta wants, the manager gets visibly frustrated and even threw a tantrum at his attacking midfielder late in a narrow win against Hull City after Eze gave up a free kick
Eze has played seven games for Arsenal this season. Two of those appearances have been starts. He has not scored or assisted, and his impact as far as chance creation has been minimal with just one key pass in those seven appearances.
It's hard not to watch Tottenham Hotspur flying high right now under Roberto De Zerbi and wonder if Eze would be enjoying his football ten times more under an attacking manager who values a swashbuckling playing style while in possession more than Mikel Arteta, who abides by the philosophy of constant safe ball recycling and possession as a means of defense. Eze is not enjoying his football, he is clashing with Mikel Arteta, and he clearly does not fit who Arsenal are. Maybe he should have picked Spurs for his own career.