The former Crystal Palace attacker had only scored twice for his new team before bagging a treble against Tottenham.
Eberechi Eze scored a hat-trick in Arsenal’s 4-1 win over rivals Tottenham (Adam Davy/PA)
Eberechi Eze scored a hat-trick in Arsenal’s 4-1 win over rivals Tottenham (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Wire)
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Mikel Merino hailed Arsenal attacker Eberechi Eze as “complete” after his north London derby hat-trick and believes he can make the difference in the Premier League title race.
Defeats for Liverpool and Manchester City on Saturday opened the door for Arsenal to extend their lead at the summit and Eze’s wonderful treble inspired a 4-1 victory over Tottenham.
Spurs had been close to signing Eze from Crystal Palace in August until Mikel Arteta pulled off a major hijack and makeshift Gunners forward Merino says the England international has instantly slotted into a group at Emirates Stadium determined to achieve silverware this season.
“I think he is very complete. He can dribble, he can pass the ball,” Merino reflected.
“In Spain we are born and we are raised with this talent of playing with each other, passing the ball and connecting. 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.
“Just saying ‘hi’ to him for the first time, you can see the calmness in his 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 and we need those type of players.”
It had been a relatively slow start for Eze in north London with only two goals in his first 15 appearances for Arsenal, but Merino was always confident his big moment would arrive.
Asked if Eze can be a difference-maker in the title race after near-misses in recent seasons, Merino pointed to the club’s summer activity where Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke and Martin Zubimendi were also signed.
Merino added: “We have signed so many players who can be a difference.
“I think now, everyone judges players in terms of goals and assists – numbers. It is what it is, but as football players we know that he is providing the team with a lot of quality and a lot of good movements, technically.
“In training sessions, you know how good he is. So yes, goals came but he is an unbelievable player and we are really, really lucky to have him. He can play in different positions and adapt to different styles. It was a massive signing for Arsenal.”
The Gunners will have little time to savour this latest win over Tottenham with Bayern Munich up next at Emirates Stadium in the Champions League on Wednesday, before a trip across the capital to second-placed Chelsea on Saturday.
“It is great and it gives us a lot of confidence, but we had it before the game,” Merino acknowledged.
“We know how good we are as a team. We know as well it is going to be a long, long season and every game is going to be really important. Now we are already thinking about Bayern.”