Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta makes exciting Eberechi Eze claim as Gabriel Martinelli role clarified

LIVERPOOL vs ARSENAL: Eberechi Eze could make his Gunners debut on Sunday at Anfield as the two Premier League title favourites go toe-to-toe on Merseyside

Mikel Arteta has backed Eberechi Eze to kickstart his Arsenal career on the perfect note – by making a statement at Anfield. The England international playmaker, recently signed from Crystal Palace for a £67.5million fee, has history when it comes to derailing Liverpool’s Premier League title bid.

Eze slotted a precious winner for Palace on Merseyside in April 2024 when a 1-0 victory crushed Jurgen Klopp’s hopes of a fairytale ending to his illustrious nine-year Reds reign. When asked if the 27-year-old is ready to make his mark in the absence of Bukayo Saka and potentially Martin Odegaard, Arteta’s response was emphatic: “Yes, he’s played there many times and I think he’s the type of player that loves these scenarios and these moments.

“I think the moment he starts to play, we will see how the team will react and what connections will flourish from his interventions. I’m very confident because he’s played in the league for so many years.

“We’re adapting to his qualities and making sure that we put him in the right positions as often as possible. We have to put him in the positions and scenarios where he can deliver those moments which are the reason why we brought him here to give us something different, something unexpected. As we know, the outcome of that is really big.”

Arteta insists the arrival of Eze has created a buzz at the Sobha Realty Training Centre that has overpowered the disappointment of losing several top stars to injury. When asked what he has noticed about his latest arrival in training, Arteta said: “First of all, his energy.

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“I think when you are next to him, you are comfortable, he’s got a big smile, he picks things and he asks you the right questions. Then, just him flowing above and the ability he has to pick passes, to drive past people effortlessly and just to understand the timing of things, it’s very impressive.”

Eze’s availability – alongside the arrival of Noni Madueke – has created extra competition on the left-side of Arsenal ‘s newly-bolstered frontline. However, the Arsenal boss insists he is not interested in selling Gabriel Martinelli before Monday’s deadline.

He said when quizzed on whether the Brazilian was available for transfer: “No and I think Gabi’s been a super important player for us and he’s going to remain very, very, very important. The fact that we have options with different qualities is going to fulfil what we want because every opponent is going to require different things.

“Then there’s the state, the moment, the way that those players are impacting the game and that competition is needed.

Arteta added he has no concerns about keeping players happy following a record-breaking summer and seven new arrivals.

He concluded: “Worry? No, I think the word is that I care that everybody is as happy as they possibly can be. That’s a big part of my job, our job at the end, to make sure that every player feels that he’s fulfilling his potential.”

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