What Eberechi Eze did to Declan Rice in England training speaks volumes, Mikel Arteta will love it

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Eberechi Eze arrived at Arsenal in August and will be looking to excite the Gunners supporters on his home debut next week against Nottingham Forest.

Arsenal opted to spend £67.5 million on Eze, prising the attacking midfielder away from Crystal Palace and to the Emirates.

The England international was one of eight signings the Gunners made over the summer, as Andrea Berta invested heavily to provide Mikel Arteta with the tools to launch another assault on the Premier League title.

Eze made his debut in red and white at Anfield last weekend, although Arsenal fans will get a proper look at him when he pulls on the shirt next Saturday in N5.

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Eberechi Eze outdoes Declan Rice in shooting drill during England training

Eze is currently on international duty with England, away training with the Three Lions alongside the likes of Declan Rice, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Noni Madueke.

England take on Andorra on Saturday afternoon, before facing Serbia on Tuesday as they bid to secure a place at next summer’s World Cup in North America.

The Gunners bought Eze to provide them with more attacking flair in the final third, with the Crystal Palace man netting 14 goals and providing 12 assists across all competitions last season.

Arteta will be encouraged that he will get this from his new marquee addition, based on a training video released by England on TikTok this week.

In the video, Rice, Eze, Harry Kane, Morgan Rogers and Marcus Rashford were engaged in a shooting game in which a player is excluded if they miss a shot from inside the Dee.

Eze managed to convert his two shots on goal effortlessly, while Rice was outdone by the 27-year-old, missing his second attempt.

While merely a small snippet from a training session, Arteta will be delighted to see his new man already looking sharp and showcasing his ability to shoot from range.

As good as Rice is, this quality isn’t quite in his skillset, and the fact Eze is able to bring this speaks volumes about what Arsenal were targeting in the window.

Eberechi Eze may play over Declan Rice in midfield at times

While Rice is a shoo-in for most games for Arsenal, there may be the odd fixture in which Eze is the better option at left eight.

This could mean just for a certain portion of a match off the bench, or from the start, with Rice either being rested or moving deeper into Martin Zubimendi’s position.

Eze’s superior dribbling, shooting and ability to operate in small spaces make him an exciting midfield option against low blocks.

He may be able to help break down these stubborn, deep defences better than Rice is able to when the former West Ham man is deployed as an advanced number eight.

With Arsenal dominating the ball in these particular games, Rice’s defensive work won’t be as keenly missed.