After Mikel Arteta called for “no fear” and “pure fire” from his Arsenal players, Eberechi Eze insisted the mood in the camp remains positive despite a difficult few weeks.
Defeat to Manchester City in the League Cup, an FA Cup exit at the hands of Southampton and a Premier League loss to Bournemouth have left the Gunners searching for momentum. Their only win in the last month came in Lisbon, where they took a 1-0 lead in the first leg of this Champions League quarter-final. The job, though, is only half done, and they must ensure recent setbacks do not derail their push for back-to-back semi-final appearances.
There is plenty of noise around the club, and little sign of it easing, but Eze’s outlook suggests the players remain fully convinced of what they can achieve.
“We all know the position that we’re in, the opportunity that we have, and we know what’s at stake,” the England international said on Tuesday.
“There’s loads of confidence, loads of belief in the group and in our team, and it’s special to be around. The focus is on the opportunity that we have, and taking it with both hands.
“These are the moments that you want to play in as a footballer.
“You want to play in the high-stakes games, you want to play in all the competitions, you want to win as much as you can. It’s a beautiful time, and for me, I’m so excited. I know my team is excited, I know the boys are. We’re going to give everything for sure.”
Much of the narrative this week has centred on familiar accusations of Arsenal falling short when it matters. It is not hard to see why. What might have been a 12-point lead over City on Saturday evening was cut to six by the end of Sunday, and a defeat at the Etihad next weekend, where Arsenal have not won in over a decade, would shift the balance of the title race completely.
While some in the squad have lived through those swings before, Eze is approaching things from a different perspective. He arrived with a clean slate and confidence built from success at Crystal Palace.
“I understand what you’re saying \[about old scars\], but I feel like there’s a freshness that comes with not having experienced negative things,” he said.
“From what I can see from the team-mates that I have, the mentality that’s in the team, there’s so much belief and so much confidence.
“There’s one thing to have bad experiences, but what you do with them and how you move forward from them is more important. I can see that I’ve got a team full of guys who are ready.
“For sure, we’re here to help the boys who have come in this summer, but the mentality is strong.”
Arteta has not shied away from talking up the significance of what is at stake, pointing to the legacy his players could leave if they deliver silverware. Given the 22-year wait for a league title and the club’s history in Europe, it raises the question of whether the messaging risks adding pressure.
Eze sees it differently.
“I think the boss speaks well, and he’s passionate. You can see the fire that he has in his eyes and his mind. That’s been pushed around the whole training ground. Again, we know the opportunity that we have.
“We know what’s at stake. We know what’s possible, and we’ve got an opportunity to make history as a club. Regardless of what people say outside, it’s about us here and what we’re doing.
“We believe massively. We have so much confidence in what we’re doing. That’s been the main message.”
He also made it clear that outside criticism has little bearing on his mindset.
“Being honest, I’m not caring about what you guys talk about. I’m just doing what I do. I’m the professional. I’m the one that plays. Everyone has an opinion.
“Everyone thinks they know what’s right and this and that. For me and my teammates, I can see we’ve got the mentality now of just letting go and doing what we do best.”
The noise isn’t going anywhere, and neither are the questions. But as Eze makes clear, the players are not interested in joining that conversation. They know what’s at stake, they know what’s possible, and over the next few weeks, they’ll have the chance to show which version of this team is the real one.
Or it could all be over by Sunday, in which case we can grab our pitchforks, torch the stadium, and settle into that all-too-familiar summer spiral.