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Mikel Arteta is turning to Eberechi Eze’s growing influence as Arsenal chase the Premier League title, after Eze hit two goals in the 4-1 win over Tottenham and now prepares to face Chelsea, with Arsenal aware their advantage at the top could shrink to two points before Sunday’s kick-off.
Eze has struck six league goals for Arsenal this season, all in London derbies, with one against Crystal Palace and five across the two matches with Spurs, and the 27-year-old has now scored each of the last 11 Premier League goals of a career entirely in London.
The brace against Spurs followed Eze’s hat-trick in the reverse north London derby, yet Eze has started only 13 Premier League games for Arsenal, while still standing as the club’s second-highest league scorer this season, though all those goals arrived in just three matches and none outside derby fixtures.
That unusual scoring pattern sets a Premier League record, as no player had previously scored as many as six times in a season while failing to find the net in any game that was not a London derby, underlining how Eze’s influence so far has been concentrated in the capital’s most intense fixtures.
Arsenal and Chelsea meet for the fourth time this season in all competitions, with Arsenal winning both legs of their EFL Cup semi-final and drawing 1-1 in the earlier league fixture, while Chelsea are now eight Premier League games without victory against Arsenal, recording three draws and five defeats.
Home form in this fixture also favours Arsenal, who have won the last three league matches at Emirates Stadium against Chelsea, a sequence the club last bettered between 1990 and 1994, when Arsenal recorded five straight home league wins over the same opponents, adding historical weight to current momentum.
In the second leg of the EFL Cup tie, Chelsea adopted a deep defensive block despite trailing on aggregate, and Arsenal needed a late winner to progress, but Arteta is not interested in relying on those previous results when facing Liam Rosenior’s side again in the Premier League on Sunday.
“What it is about is the preparation, Arteta said. It gives you confidence and the right emotional state to get to the game with the belief that you are going to win it. Then you have to go and do it.”
“Chelsea have done different things while facing us. They can change throughout the game. They’ve got the manager and players who are comfortable doing that. We will be prepared and try to be better than them. There’s nothing else we can do. What we did two weeks ago or two years ago is irrelevant.”
Arsenal Premier League title push and Arteta’s view on Eze
Arteta highlighted Eze’s response to tactical and selection choices across the campaign, stressing the importance of maintaining standards even when roles change, as Arsenal attempt to manage the pressure of a title race and another demanding London derby with Chelsea late in the Premier League season.
“You see how players react in relation to certain decisions you take, Arteta said of Eze ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League meeting with Chelsea. When they have better games or certain difficulties. His role has been modified a few times throughout the season, and his reaction has always been top, but it’s been tough to perform after, which is what we need.”
“He’s been exceptional in the manner he is behaving every single day, but what we need now is that those manners are transformed into huge performances that decide football matches. That’s the reason we bought him.”
Arteta also explained that staff and teammates are still learning how best to use Eze, while Eze adapts to Arsenal’s structure, suggesting that the attacking midfielder’s recent form reflects both tactical work and personal development, with visible signs of improvement in several aspects of Eze’s game.
“To understand him, you have to understand how he connects with other players and what are the connections we can build in and around him and the spaces he is more comfortable using. There are certain behaviours that he has changed dramatically into really positive things. In the end, you don’t know if you are going to see them in a week, or two, or in a month, but they are coming.”
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With Arsenal’s lead at the Premier League summit under threat and Chelsea capable of changing approach within games, Eze’s growing confidence in London derbies, combined with Arteta’s focus on preparation and adaptability, shapes a contest where fine details and individual contributions could again decide the outcome.
Story first published: Friday, February 27, 2026, 21:47 [IST]
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