That international break was hectic, wasn’t it? Any promise of calm was quickly evaporated by a certain 115 charges and a man who couldn’t quite believe he’d been told to warm up before not even entering the pitch. And this is a Pele and Diego Maradona-esque player we’re talking about here. However, after three long weeks, the Premier League returned with a bang on Saturday.
It felt quite fitting, in many ways, that it was champions Arsenal who got things back underway up against a tough Leeds United side weeks after Mikel Arteta‘s men were humiliated by Brighton.
Their crown needed those three weeks to re-adjust after slipping for the first time at The Amex, but that’s not to say it was a straightforward afternoon for the Gunners against their Yorkshire opponents.
The biggest winners and losers as Arsenal bounce back
When James Justin thumped home in the 55th minute, Arsenal’s crown didn’t just look like it was slipping; it also began to look almost plastic rather than the gold that Arteta has so deservingly boasted in recent months.
Justin’s goal opened up a new reality of panic in North London; a reality which features the Gunners’ latest downfall.
Ultimately, though, that reality did not last long. A quick snap of Arteta’s fingers signalled a swift end to Leeds’ attempt at three points, as Riccardo Calafiori stepped up before Bruno Guimaraes emerged from the bench to finish off an excellent team move scored by a side who haven’t needed a set-piece goal all season. Perhaps we are in a new reality, after all.
It wasn’t convincing, but it was resilient and it was what champions so often do so well. Once again, Guimaraes looked worth every penny of his £75m fee, Martin Odegaard looked back to his best and David Raya proved why he’s considered by many to be the best goalkeeper in the Premier League.
But there were also some performances to forget. Bukayo Saka looked a player bereft of confidence in front of goal and lacked what was once a known spring in his step before beating his man. Kai Havertz was fairly absent and Myles Lewis-Skelly is at risk of losing his place to Guimaraes.
Alas, between all those negatives, there lies one player who should bring an end to his career at the Emirates sooner rather than later.
Why Arsenal’s new Smith Rowe must end his Emirates career
One of the many reasons why Arsenal find themselves at the top of the food chain in English football these days is Arteta’s ruthless streak.
Just ask Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus. They’ll tell you that there is rarely a place at the Emirates for players who are surplus to requirements, and rightly so.
The first example of that ruthlessness came when Emile Smith Rowe was left seeking an exit before getting just that in 2024. Injuries and poor form limited the Hale End graduate to just three Premier League starts in the season before his exit. He went from Arsenal’s saviour to their next exit and now another star must follow in his footsteps.
Whether it’s a coincidence or Arteta’s vision really doesn’t include natural No.10s away from Odegaard, there’s no denying that Eberechi Eze has a problem in North London.
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Eberechi Eze in the Premier League at Arsenal |
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|---|---|
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Starts |
22 |
|
Minutes |
1,985 |
|
Goals |
7 |
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Assists |
2 |
The former Crystal Palace man arrived with plenty of promise last season. He was dubbed the man to unlock Arsenal’s best attack, joined by Viktor Gyokeres. More than 12 months on, however, and he’s still struggling for starts.
In fact, so far this season, he has watched on from the bench at the start of every Premier League game.
It just about summed things up against Leeds when Eze was told to sit back down by Arteta, despite looking like he was about to emerge from the bench. 1-0 down against a stubborn side at the time, it’s never a good sign when the creative No.10 still can’t get on the pitch and Eze should make note. Before that even happened, it was damning that Noni Madueke was selected ahead of him on the left.
Christos Tzolis’ injury meant Eze was a shoo-in to start this clash but apparently not.
In the space of one season, the England international has gone from a regular starter to just 85 minutes of action in the opening six games. The warning signs are there and Eze should hand in a transfer request as soon as possible.
Like a number 10 before him – Smith Rowe – an exit may be the only thing that kickstarts his career.
