Just keep winning. Just keep winning. While others falter around them, Arsenal's mantra has remained the same in this hectic festive period, powering their way to victory after victory to remain the Premier League's leading outfit.
It has taken guts and grit, not least in narrow wins over Wolverhampton Wanderers, Everton and Brighton, yet Mikel Arteta's side have navigated this intense period remarkably well, rounding 2025 in style with Tuesday's thumping 4-1 win over Aston Villa.
Up against a genuine title rival, who had been enjoying an 11-game winning run in all competitions, the Gunners avoided that banana skin following a stunning second-half display, showcasing once again why they are the team to beat.
For all that positivity, it hasn't been a particularly happy period for every member of Arteta's squad, however, with summer signing Eberechi Eze having been an unused substitute for the third game in succession against Unai Emery's side.
eze
The £67.5m man has slipped behind resurgent skipper Martin Odegaard in the midfield pecking order, with his hopes of securing a regular role perhaps set to be hampered even further if recent reports are to be believed.
Arsenal readying formal bid for Eze replacement
The January window has already begun at pace for the Gunners' Premier League rivals, with Manchester City closing in on the capture of Antoine Semenyo, while Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a £35m deal to sell Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace.
Emery-last-Arsenal-XI-timeless
Whether Andrea Berta leads the north Londoners into the market remains to be seen, not least with the league leaders having already enjoyed sizeable investment in the summer.
Recent reports have indicated that Berta and co have been offered the chance to sign ex-Wolves man Ruben Neves, while the club are also discussing yet another centre-back signing, in the form of Rennes starlet Jeremy Jacquet.
Elsewhere, meanwhile, reports in Spain have suggested that the Emirates side are even readying a formal offer for Real Madrid starlet, Arda Guler.
As per the report, the Gunners believe a loan with an obligation to buy could be enough to tempt the LaLiga outfit into a sale, with the total figure believed to be around €80m (£70m).
The belief is that Madrid are in no hurry to sell a player whose current deal expires in 2029, although they haven't totally ruled out a departure.
Why Guler signing could be bad news for Eze
It might be too soon to suggest that such a signing would prove the beginning of the end for Eze at Arsenal, although it's fair to say that the Englishman's arrival hasn't gone as expected to date.
Eberechi Eze 2024-25 season in numbers (timeless)
Plucked from the grasp of Spurs, the 27-year-old's best performance to date ironically came with his hat-trick display against Thomas Frank's side, while his only other league goal came against former club Crystal Palace back in October.
Having lost his place to Odegaard as Arteta's leading playmaker, Eze has also failed to convince off the left flank, notably being hooked at the break in the prior defeat to Villa last month.
Already somewhat on the periphery, the midfielder could be overshadowed even further by Guler's arrival, with the 20-year-old arguably the "best CM/AM prospect in world football right now", according to writer Neal Gardner.
The former Fenerbahce man is already shining at the Bernabeu despite his relative youth, racking up ten goals and assists in all competitions this season, ahead of Eze's return of nine.
Arda Guler for Real Madrid
That has come with Guler operating in something of a deeper role under new boss Xabi Alonso in 2025/26, leading the way as the creative spark for Los Blancos thus far.
Indeed, as per Sofascore, the Turkish genius has already created eight 'big chances' and averaged 2.2 key passes per game, with his total tally of 40 key passes only bettered by two players in the entirety of LaLiga this season.
Eze vs Guler - 25/26 League stats
Stat (*per game)
Games
Starts
Goals
Assists
Big chances created
Key passes*
Pass accuracy*
Successful dribbles*
Fouls won*
Stats via Sofascore
For comparison, Eze has created just three 'big chances' and averaged just 0.5 key passes per game, having yet to replicate the talismanic form that he showcased during his time at Selhurst Park.
Patience will be afforded the ex-Palace hero, but at 27, this was the type of signing that Arteta needed to work almost immediately, rather than proving someone for the long-term.
Arda-Guler-FBref-stats
In the shape of Guler, Arsenal could well be getting the best of both worlds, a player who has already proven himself at the elite level for a mammoth of a club, albeit while being young enough to have room to grow and progress even further in the years to come.
Whether Madrid and Alonso would sanction a sale of such a talent remains to be seen, but at a time when the Gunners are already on the charge, the 20-year-old could be another hugely exciting weapon to add to Arteta's arsenal...
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Arsenal are ready to react to opportunities in the January transfer window.