Hale End has already gifted Arsenal with another ‘exciting’ star

People say their good form heading into the derby is unexpected, but Arsenal proved that to be a complete lie on Sunday afternoon.

Mikel Arteta’s side welcomed Tottenham Hotspur at home and did not flinch under pressure, taking full advantage of points dropped by Liverpool and Manchester City to defeat their arch-rivals.

The class gap was so great that it looked like the Gunners were playing for a League One side, and summer signing Eberechi Eze was unable to play as he was about to move to a white team in North London.

The Englishman has been untouchable from start to finish, so fans should be happy that Arsenal have already created a viable version of him.

Eze’s performance against Spurs

It was a joke, but Thomas Frank must be regretting asking ‘who’ when asked about Eze in the build-up to the match, as the entire Arsenal squad played well, while the former Crystal Palace star was nothing short of spectacular.

When Declan Rice fired a superb ball over that should have been finished just three minutes into the game, it felt as if the Englishman was on a mission to make the Spurs manager believe him.

And 39 minutes later, with the Gunners already having a goal and advantage, he added his second thanks to some careful footwork and a low driving shot.

Just 30 seconds into the second half, the 27-year-old scored his second goal, again pushing the ball into the bottom corner, but this time scoring with his weaker foot.

Now, for most players, scoring two goals on Derby Day would be more than a dream, but the Greenwich-born maestro was unlike any other and scored his third in the 76th minute to make it 4-1.

He becomes the first player to score a hat-trick in a North London derby since Alan Sunderland in December 1978.

All in all, it’s safe to say that Sunday’s game will always be remembered as the Eze derby, and should be the starting point for the midfielder to hit the ground running this season.

And in even better news, the club may already have another homegrown version of the international ace brewer.

Arsenal’s Homemade Eze

Arsenal have long been a team that prioritizes the development of young players from within, and the biggest example of this in recent years is, of course, Bukayo Saka.

The club now has another group of great young players in the mix, including Ethan Nwaneri, who could develop into a homegrown player at Eze.

Yes, the 18-year-old may never grow up to be like the former Crystal Palace star, but there are some undeniable similarities.

Hale End’s talent, for example, is seen as an incredibly skilled player who can and has played wide, but who will eventually develop into a sensational No. 10.

Additionally, although he hasn’t gotten the playing time this year that many expected or expected, he is still very young and has had plenty of time to develop, and he still proved how talented he is last season.

For example, the “phenomenal” prospect, described by former pro Stephen Warnock, had nine goals and two assists in 37 games and 1,378 minutes.

This means that he is involved in a goal every 3.36 games and, more importantly, one goal every 125.27 minutes. This would be an incredible figure if he were an experienced professional, and would help justify Joe Cole’s claim that “he is the most exciting footballer in England, and perhaps Europe.”

Finally, on top of his accomplishments, the Enfield-born talent put up some sensational underlying numbers last year.

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League for successful take-ons, in the top 6% for total distance, and in the top 8% for crosses, all with 90 points.

After all, even though he is still very young, Nwaneri’s ability to play wide and even as a number 10, combined with his output and technical ability, means he could be Arsenal’s next Eze.