Both Riccardo Calafiori and Eberechi Eze played well against Everton, with Arsenal’s summer signing relaying an important message to the Italian post-match.
On a night that will live long in the memories of Arsenal fans, the Gunners took another huge leap towards the Premier League title.
From what we thought was Viktor Gyokeres’ match-winner to Max Dowman’s history-making moment, it was a special occasion at the Emirates for all involved.
After the game, David Moyes singled out Riccardo Calafiori for his sensational first-half block, a moment of magic that headlined a terrific return to the starting XI for the defender.
Who was Arsenal’s Man of the Match against Everton?
HUGE WIN.
Eberechi Eze’s poignant message for Riccardo Calafiori post-Everton
Amid Piero Hincapie’s incredible form, Mikel Arteta showcased his squad depth and replaced the Ecuadorian with Calafiori to face Everton.
Calafiori showed his worth, as did his teammate Eberechi Eze, who answered his critics with a statement-making performance against the Toffees.
After the game, Eze sent Calafiori a very telling message on Instagram, commenting on the defender’s post to say, “Lock in or get locked out.”
The comment was poignant for several reasons, depending on whether it’s read as celebrating competition in the Arsenal squad or a nod to the Gunners’ persistence in the title race.
Eze’s words stood out, but he wasn’t the only one to applaud Calafiori’s performance, as his left-back competition, Hincapie, dubbed his teammate “the beast.”
One part of Eze’s performance vs Everton stood out
Praise flooded in for Calafiori, and rightly so, but Eze also deserves a lot of credit.
Was that the performance that proved Eberechi Eze should be Arsenal’s starting number ten?
There’s been a lot of negative discourse surrounding the summer signing, but his impact against the Toffees cannot be overlooked.
Eze fired as many as seven shots on goal against Everton, which, to contextualise, is the same number of shots Arsenal had as a collective in the Premier League match prior against Brighton.
The playmaker flipped a switch and showed the difference he can make for the Gunners in the run-in, also completing 100% of his crosses, 100% of his tackles and one dribble.
On a night when the entire Arsenal squad had to step up to secure a crucial three points, Arteta’s players did just that, with the feeling already there that the Everton win could be a result we reflect on for years to come.
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