Why Everything Has Changed Forever for Super-Talented Eze

Talk about arriving on the scene as an Arsenal player.

Eberechi Eze announced himself in spectacular fashion with a brilliant hat-trick against Tottenham and from this moment on, his world will never look the same.

Everyone already recognised Eze’s remarkable talent from his Crystal Palace days, and his early Arsenal performances had shown flashes of his class.

But at a club of Arsenal’s stature, the ultimate measure of greatness is how you perform in defining moments. Sunday’s 4–1 triumph in the north London derby offered the perfect stage for his most radiant display in a red-and-white shirt.

A lifelong Arsenal supporter, Eze made the moment deeply personal. Becoming the first man to net a derby hat-trick since 1978, he made it all appear almost effortless.

As I said on Match of the Day, he was a delight to watch a player who possesses the rare ability to make the game seem elegantly simple.

His finishing for all three goals was outstanding, matched by his balance, movement, and instinctive awareness of space. With equal comfort on either foot, he glides across the pitch, shaping the ball with effortless artistry.

Eze was signed to break down stubborn defensive blocks like Spurs’, and he showcased every thread of his creative fabric.

After a performance of this magnitude, he will soar on confidence for days but the fact that it came in this derby means his path forward has permanently shifted.

Eze Will Feel He Can Attempt Anything

From my own experience, there are certain matches that reshape how supporters perceive you forever.

I had been at Liverpool for more than three years before scoring my first winner against Manchester United in 2000. I was accustomed to fans recognising me, to autograph requests but that goal changed everything.

I became the player who scored that winner, against that rival. Overnight, people viewed me differently. They valued me more, because I had gifted them joy in a match that carried enormous emotional weight.

The same transformation now awaits Eze. For the next few games, his confidence will be so sky-high that he’ll feel capable of trying anything as though nothing he attempts can go wrong.

Whether he steps out against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday or faces Chelsea in the Premier League next weekend, he will sense the fans completely behind him now more than ever before.

Every time he touches the ball, he will feel that electric connection. You know the supporters adore you, and that affection flows into your football. Your mindset becomes: Give me the ball what magic can I create next? It is an intoxicating feeling, and he’ll want to express every ounce of his brilliance.

That thrill is universal for any player who scores a derby hat-trick. But when you support the club yourself, it resonates on a deeper, more intimate level.

The warmth you feel from the crowd is impossible to replicate unless you’ve grown up understanding it yourself.

I had stood as a Liverpool fan at Old Trafford, absorbing the rivalry from the terraces. I knew what beating United meant to our supporters just as Eze knows exactly what conquering Spurs means to Arsenal fans.

His achievement on Sunday will live with him forever, and the fans know he understands the weight of it too.

He is about to enjoy an extraordinary few weeks. The only subtle danger is believing you’re invincible that everything will simply fall into place. It never works like that.

But Eze’s humility protects him. His tireless work ethic says everything. Even after scoring his hat-trick, he was still sprinting back into his own half from a corner to help defend.

Some players are simply impossible not to root for whatever club they represent because of their character. Eze is one of those.

His journey has been far from easy: released by Arsenal at 13, working his way back, becoming an Arsenal and England star at 27. That alone makes his story extraordinary.

Eze is the kind of footballer Arteta can fully trust: inventive, composed, and capable of changing any match. I called him a “wow footballer” on Match of the Day because he genuinely excites me, and I can’t wait to see what this season brings for him.

Arsenal do face one fascinating dilemma, though: both Martin Ødegaard and Eze are exceptional No. 10s.

Who does Arteta choose?
A wonderful problem to have.

Competition Has Elevated Performances

Had things unfolded differently last summer, Eze might have lined up against Arsenal on Sunday instead of dismantling Spurs in their colours.

That painful irony won’t be lost on Tottenham watching the player they pursued ruthlessly put three past them.

But his hat-trick was only the crowning flourish for an Arsenal team brimming with stellar individual displays.

Mikel Merino, once again deployed as a makeshift centre-forward, caused Spurs persistent trouble. Jurrien Timber delivered one of the finest right-back performances I’ve seen in years placing himself firmly in the conversation with the likes of Achraf Hakimi.

We have already witnessed Cristhian Mosquera step in for William Saliba without missing a beat, and now Piero Hincapié has filled Gabriel’s place with equal authority.

When Arsenal signed Mosquera and Hincapié in the summer, their improved depth looked promising on paper. Now we’re seeing that strength vividly expressed on the pitch. The competition for places has lifted everyone’s performance levels.

Ominous Signs for the Rest of the League

Arteta must be thrilled not only with the technical level of his squad but with their relentless physicality and commitment.

Every player is prepared to give everything because they know that failing to do so means losing their spot. Credit to Arteta: he has constructed a culture where work rate matters as much as, if not more than, attacking flair.

There are no passengers. Even in attack, Viktor Gyökeres absent against Spurs due to injury has personified their pressing mentality.

Whoever plays, the defensive intensity remains. That requires mental discipline, yes, but physically they all look razor-sharp.

Every facet of their play is in perfect tune, and the belief radiates through their performances.

What impresses me most is this: even on days when their passing rhythm falters, they rarely look like they’ll have an off day without the ball.

They have become a powerhouse unified, purposeful, and determined to end the pattern of finishing runners-up in recent seasons.

Right now, the way Arsenal are playing is deeply ominous for everyone else. It’s difficult to see who can genuinely challenge them.