Mikel Arteta Makes Clear What He Wants to See More From Eberechi Eze at Arsenal

Arteta challenges Eberechi Eze to turn flashes of quality into consistent impact as Arsenal season reaches a decisive stage.

Mikel Arteta has made his expectations of Eberechi Eze unmistakably clear: Arsenal summer signing must turn potential into consistent impact at the highest level.

Eze’s move from Crystal Palace to Arsenal marked a major step forward in his career, but his early months in north London have produced mixed results. His difficult outing against Brentford—where Arteta substituted him at half-time after he failed to affect the game—highlighted the challenge of adapting to Arsenal’s tactical demands and the intensity of Premier League title football.

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Arteta later explained that the nature of that match limited Eze’s ability to express himself, pointing to the physical pressure and structure of the game. The message was not criticism, but recognition that adaptation remains part of the process.

That context made his response against Wigan Athletic all the more significant.

In Arsenal’s FA Cup victory, Eze delivered his most convincing performance in an Arsenal shirt. Operating with freedom and confidence, he produced two line-breaking assists for Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli, showing the creativity, vision and attacking intent Arsenal believed they were signing.

The contrast between Brentford and Wigan highlighted the core issue Arteta is addressing.

The Arsenal manager praised Eze’s ability to break defensive lines and create chances, but his message was clear: those qualities must appear consistently, not selectively. Performance against lower-league opposition must translate into impact against elite Premier League sides, where pressure, intensity and structure are far greater.

For Arteta, this is about mentality as much as talent. He wants Eze to play with bravery, to accept risk, and to impose himself even when games are tight, physical, and tactically complex. Creativity, in his view, only matters when it influences outcomes.

Consistency now defines the challenge.

Arteta sees Eze as a potential game-changer, but only if his influence becomes sustained rather than sporadic. The talent is unquestioned. The opportunity is there. The expectation is rising.

For Eze, the task is simple but demanding: make the Wigan performance the standard, not the exception — and turn promise into presence at the highest level of Arsenal’s title push.

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