After watching Arsenal beat Newcastle United 2-1, Chris Sutton made a bold claim about one of Mikel Arteta’s players.
The Gunners broke a 39-year curse against Newcastle to come from behind to beat the Magpies at St James’ Park.
Arsenal left it excruciatingly late, scoring a 96th-minute winner after equalising in the 84th minute of play.
While the goals came in the dying embers, Arteta’s side were unfortunate not to have scored earlier, with Eberechi Eze being instrumental in the final third in the first half.
Chris Sutton says Eberechi Eze is the Premier League’s best in one key area
Troy Deeney said Eze could’ve scored a hat-trick against Newcastle, with the hosts fortunate to have Nick Pope between the sticks.
The playmaker was at the top of his game at a ground where Arsenal needed him most, with Chris Sutton noticing what Eze did to make the difference.
“Eze, he’s not daft anyway, he’ll still put a shift in defensively and handle himself physically,” Sutton began on BBC’s Football Daily podcast.
“It’s just in big games, which are tight, you need that little bit of something different, that craft and that guile and that ability to beat the man or get shots off. And that’s what Eze does virtually better than anybody else in the Premier League.”
Eze recorded four shots on goal against Newcastle and, had it not been for Pope’s impressive performance, the Englishman would’ve certainly got off the mark for Arsenal in the Premier League.
It was a display for Arsenal and Eze to build on, and one that gave Arteta an idea of the calibre of player the Gunners signed in the summer transfer window.
Pundits are starting to recognise Eze as Arsenal’s difference maker
Before the match kicked off at St James’ Park, the playmaker was a talking point.
There was an uproar about Eze not starting against Manchester City, giving Arteta the chance to answer his critics when naming his starting XI.
Eze started in his favoured position, and lo and behold, he made Arsenal better, with pundits noticing how integral the summer signing could be for the Gunners.
On The 2 Robbies podcast, pundit Robbie Mustoe identified the former Crystal Palace star as Arsenal’s difference maker.
“Arsenal went with Eberechi Eze as an eight or a 10, kind of floating between the two. I think he makes a difference. He just gives him a little bit of quick feet, a little bit of forward thinking.”
Eze has added a new dimension to Arsenal’s attack, having the ability to wreak havoc while barely breaking into a sweat.
The decision to steal the playmaker from Tottenham’s grasp is looking to be even more of a feat now as Eze continues to shine in red and white.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
