Champions League1 hour ago2 minute read

Eberechi Eze Embraces Competition For Places At Arsenal

Eberechi Eze scored in Arsenal's 3-0 win against Lille and spoke about fighting for his spot in Mikel Arteta's squad.

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Gunners secure strong home win

Arsenal earned a 3-0 victory over Lille at the Emirates in the Champions League. Manager Mikel Arteta selected a much changed starting lineup for the European fixture.

The team delivered a dominant seven minute stint during the match to secure the victory. Jurriën Timber opened the scoring before Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze added to the goal tally.

Saka entered the match as a substitute and made an immediate impact. He delivered a pass to Eze, who ran onto the ball and slammed it into the net in the 67th minute.

Eze welcomes squad battle

Despite finding the net in Europe, Eze is still waiting to make his first Premier League start of the current season. The midfielder routinely competes for the No. 10 role alongside team captain Martin Ødegaard.

Eze acknowledged that managing squad depth can be difficult for players at times. Every member of the squad naturally wants to play in every game.

Speaking to TNT Sports, Eze said that if a player does not want to play, they are probably not in the right place. He explained that his mentality remains focused on earning his place, affecting matches, and making the most of his opportunities.

Linking up with star teammates

Eze noted that he is thoroughly enjoying his time at the club despite the fierce competition for starting spots. He highlighted the quality of the players around him as a major positive factor.

He explained that playing alongside talented teammates makes it fun to link up on the pitch. According to Eze, players are always finding spaces and know that their teammates will find them in return.

The Gunners will now prepare to travel for their next Champions League test when they visit Bayern Munich on Oct 21 to build on their winning start to the league phase.

What it means for the next game

Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal (Premier League, Sun, 18 Oct): Nottingham Forest win 18%, draw 27%, Arsenal win 55%; expected goals 0.80 to 1.57. Our safest pick: Arsenal or Draw.

Bayern Munich vs Arsenal (Champions League, Wed, 21 Oct): Bayern Munich win 60%, draw 20%, Arsenal win 20%; expected goals 2.35 to 1.34. Our safest pick: Bayern Munich or Draw.