3 Ways Arsenal Could Line Up: Eberechi Eze Creates Frightening Opportunities

Summary

Eberechi Eze’s arrival leads to several different startin XI possibilities at Arsenal.

Eze offers tactical flexibility: midfield, left wing, or a system-sparking back three.

The Crystal Palace man could create tough calls surrounding Martinelli and Zubimendi.

Arsenal’s hopes of winning the Premier League title that has been so elusive during Mikel Arteta’s tenure at the Emirates may have just improved exponentially thanks to the imminent addition of one man. It seemed destiny that Eberechi Eze would end up on the white side of North London with Tottenham, but one Kai Havertz injury later, and Arsenal made their move.

Eze’s impending arrival adds even more firepower to an already intimidating attack that also consists of Bukayo Saka and Viktor Gyokeres. And having just lifted both the FA Cup and Community Shield with the unfavoured Crystal Palace, it is clear the 27-year-old not only brings undoubted quality to the Gunners, but perhaps a little more of the winning mentality they need too.

And the even greater thing about Eze, is that there are multiple ways that Arteta could utilise him which may help make Arsenal a little more predictable than they have become in recent times. Now, with the playmaker, we may see an end to the reliance on playing down the right-hand side and we may also see a new-look line-up, with three potential options all as appealing as each other.

Eze in Midfield

With Arsenal playing a 4-3-3 under Mikel Arteta, the likely reality is that Eze will have to adjust his position slightly from what he has gotten used to under Oliver Glasner at Crystal Palace. As a result, there are two likely destinations for him. The first is midfield, which if you happen to be Martin Zubimendi, you hope isn’t the case because the Spaniard would no doubt have been sold the idea of a bigger role in the team, only to be moved out by a more exciting option.

With Declan Rice one of the first names on the teamsheet and Martin Odegaard the club captain, they are likely partners for Eze in the engine room, with Bukayo Saka and Viktor Gyokeres almost guaranteed to lead the attack.

The back four is not up for massive debate, except perhaps at full-back. Here, Ben White and Myles Lewis-Skelly have been given the rub. But what it does crucially mean is that Gabriel Martinelli is allowed to keep his place, which otherwise may have been at risk.

Eze on the Left

Of course, what Martinelli is more likely to fear is that he gets ousted and Eze takes his place on the left-hand side. There was already a fair deal of quality in that area, with Noni Madueke capable of playing there and Leandro Trossard signing a new contract too. But Eze would have to be considered as the stiffest competition to the Brazilian who has just not kicked on following high hopes as a youngster.

Key Statistic: Eze manages a goal contribution on average every 2.57 Premier League games compared to Martinelli’s 2.66.

This would at least provide some good news to Zubimendi though, who would be allowed to slot back into the engine room next to Rice and Odegaard. There has also been a tip of the cap for Riccardo Calafiori, who can’t be left out of all the teams after his match-winning header from less than a yard out against United.

Arsenal to Refer to a Back Three

Is Eze that influential enough that Arteta would seriously consider switching his entire tactic to something he is more familiar with? That’s a question still to be answered, but this is how it might look if he did. The first point of contention is whether Saka would move into one of the two number 10 positions. We have gone with no, and stuck the Gunners’ star boy at right wing-back, a position he isn’t completely unfamiliar with even if he has spent more time operating in that role on the opposite flank.

Instead, Odegaard gets moved further forward as Rice and Zubimendi continue in deeper midfield roles. Calafiori also remains on the left, with Lewis-Skelly just missing out. As for the third defender in the back three, Jurrien Timber’s opportunity to show his versatility comes into play as he would be most suited to partner Gabriel and William Saliba, with his added mobility no doubt important when covering for Saka as he pushes forward