Mikel Merino has hailed Eberechi Eze as a “difference maker” after the midfielder scored a hat-trick in his first North London derby following his £67.5m summer move to Arsenal. The 27-year-old boyhood Arsenal fan lived out his dream as his treble helped the Gunners go six points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Merino praised Eze’s all-round game, saying: “I think he is very complete. He can dribble, he can pass the ball. He has one very good thing... associating with each other. He is also mentality-driven to passing the ball and sharing the game but at the same time he can dribble and is very strong. He can shoot and is really complete. An amazing signing.”
The Spain midfielder highlighted Eze’s down-to-earth personality as key to his seamless integration into the squad. “You can see the calmness in Eberechi’s voice and the way he presents himself. He is very confident and also every morning, we sit in a sauna at the training ground and we can have a really good talk with him about everything. He is just a nice guy and already very integrated within the team,” Merino added.
Merino also spoke about the importance of squad mentality over individual brilliance, emphasising that Arsenal’s summer recruits—including Viktor Gyokeres, Piero Hincapie and Martin Zubimendi—have bought into the team ethos. “Even though individuals can win games, the main thing is the team and if you have very good individuals, but not sticking together, that is a problem,” he said.
The competition for places has raised the level at the Emirates, with Merino noting: “It is tough for him [the manager] to make decisions over who is playing and who is not playing but at the same time, at every training session, we are pushing each other and everyone is getting the benefit.”
