Arsenal fully deserve to be Premier League champions this season.
Mikel Arteta’s side have been the best team in the country and have overcome enormous pressure to finally bring the title back to north London.
However, the campaign was not smooth from start to finish.
There was one period where things looked like they could genuinely unravel for Arsenal, both mentally and physically.
During that difficult spell, Eberechi Eze decided to have an honest conversation with Arteta – and it may have changed the entire season.
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Eberechi Eze’s honest conversation with Mikel Arteta helped transform Arsenal’s season
When Arsenal suffered a 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth, many people felt that the Premier League title race was over.
The loss came just before the huge clash against Manchester City, a fixture that had been hanging over Arsenal psychologically for months. It was among the toughest moments of the entire campaign.
At that stage, the Gunners’ problems were not just tactical or mental – the players looked exhausted physically as well.
Part of that was down to the brutal schedule, but Arteta’s demanding training methods were also taking a toll.
The Independent claim that the Arsenal manager’s natural response to setbacks was to increase intensity on the training ground and push his squad even harder. That mentality can sometimes be admirable, but Arsenal’s players were clearly reaching their limit.
It was during this period that Eze stepped up and spoke directly to Arteta.
The attacker is said to have bluntly told his manager that the squad still believed they could achieve everything this season, but they needed more space and recovery time physically.
Arteta listened – training intensity was reduced, days off became more frequent, and the atmosphere around the squad improved dramatically.
In the week before Arsenal officially secured the title, Arteta even gave the players three days off and followed that up with a barbecue gathering.
The results after those changes speak for themselves.
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Eberechi Eze has already become a genuine leader at Arsenal
Eze has only been at Arsenal for less than a year.
Most new signings would never dare challenge or question a manager like Arteta during their first season at the club. The Arsenal boss can be incredibly intense and demanding, which naturally makes those conversations difficult.
However, Eze still chose to speak up because he clearly believed it would help the team.
The fact that Arteta listened and adjusted his methods shows how important that conversation must have been. That takes courage, confidence and leadership – all qualities Arsenal need inside a title-winning dressing room.
Eze’s chat clearly changed the Gunners’ season, and we won’t be surprised at all if he is included in the leadership group next term.
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