All Hail Eze: Arsenal's Returning Hale End Boy 

Eze is a statement signing underling Arsenal's clear intent to build most talented & deepest Premier League squad, writes Gooner Fanzine print writer Henry Waddon. 

Let. It. All. Work. Out. 

Saturday evening saw football return to the hallowed carpet at The Emirates, with Arsenal taking newly-promoted Leeds to task. Although it may not have been an A* performance in the sepia-toned haze of late-August, the N5 faithful, at times, brought some of the all-in, scarf-waving, drum-banging atmosphere that has come to reach Fever Pitch in the best days of the Mik Arteta tenure. 

And although this is partly attributable to a five-nil win, a brace from our new, bond-villian, goal-jonesing centre-forward, and the huge relief of Prem football being back in North London, the headline act in the festival atmosphere was our returning superstar… 

Eberechi f***ing Eze.

A Hale End boy, welcomed back with open arms by Arsenal’s Resident Favourite UncleTM, Ian Wright (who happens to know a thing or two about making the diagonal journey from South-East London at the ripe, old age of twenty-seven). Eze is a statement signing, which lays out a clear intent to build the most talented, and deepest, squad in the league, and to challenge for all the silverware the footballing calendar will serve up for us across the coming campaign. 

And it’s a signing which portrays a footballing emotional intellect. A signing which understands what The Arsenal is, and what it means. When asked if he wanted to play for our club, Eze’s resounding retort of, ‘Obviously’, sums up the heights we have to aspire to, and maintain. A club that is exceptional and visionary both on and off the pitch. A club that people want to come to. A club where people feel welcomed, and want to stay (both in the dressing room, and in the stands).

This ethos and ethic has also rung out from Arsenal Women’s squad this summer. The securement of Chloe Kelly was yet another unequivocal display of intention and of identity. Kelly is nothing short of a superstar, whose highlight reel of immortalised on-field moments seems to be stacking ever higher on a nearly monthly basis. Like Henry or Wrighty or Williamson before her, Kelly is a figure capable of setting a love of football alight inside new fans, and bringing them into the fold of our beautiful game, and of our beautiful club. Like Eze, her importance transcends the ninety minutes. 

Similarly, through signing Taylor Hinds, the Women’s team have capitalised on the fact that our Centre of Excellence produces some of the very best footballing talent that the WSL has to offer, and that, more importantly… once a Gunner, always a Gunner. Hinds is an astounding and exciting addition to an already prodigiously talented squad, who’ll kick off their WSL campaign on Saturday 6th September, on that same pristine turf that saw our men’s side run-out easy victors on Saturday afternoon.

We have to remember that feeling. That feeling of watching Eberechi Eze walk out of the tunnel, of the joy and tenacity that the thought of playing for Arsenal summoned in him. We have to remember the rare, rare beauty of the Arsenal timeline over the past couple of days. We have to carry the mantle of your Kellys, and your Sakas, and your Williamsons. We have to remember what this club means, and what, at its best, it’s come to represent over its long and storied history. 

That’s the Arsenal we fell in love with, and it’s the Arsenal that these incredible, world-class players are desperate to come home to.

Let it all work out, I guess.