Eberechi Eze has admitted scoring his first Arsenal goal is a “very special” feeling, with his manager Mikel Arteta warning there is more to come from his summer recruit.
The ex-Crystal Palace forward opened the scoring in Arsenal’s 2–0 victory in the Carabao Cup third round at Port Vale on Wednesday, providing a clinical finish at the end of a slick move. Leandro Trossard’s late second ensured the Gunners of their place in the fourth round, where they will host Brighton & Hove Albion.
Eze, who cost the Gunners an initial £60 million ($80.1 million), has made an encouraging start to life at Arsenal having already managed assists against Nottingham Forest and Manchester City in the Premier League, but Wednesday’s goal should offer him an extra confidence boost moving forward.
When asked about how he felt after his maiden Arsenal strike, Eze told Sky Sports: “Very special. Something I’ve been working towards for a long time.
“It’s a difficult place to come, solid team, it’s important to get a first goal and move forwards. There is a lot of depth in the squad, special players coming off the bench who can bring fresh energy.”
“I just somehow found a space inside the box. So I knew that I didn’t have time to take many touches. So I was just looking to get a shot off; that was the main thing. Fortunate, and a lot of hard work behind it, but it’s a good day.”
Arteta was quick to heap praise on Eze during his postmatch media duties and admitted he expects even more from Arsenal’s No. 10 in the near future.
“He played very centrally against a team that went 5-4-1, super compact inside, it’s not easy to find the space but he’s very capable with the goal and with another three or four actions that he is completely through and [playing] people through,” said the Spaniard.
“He needs to still play more time a little bit with those guys to understand the timings, especially the things that he needs to do, and then actions like that will be more consistent and better for us. In general very good, there is still a lot more to give I think.”
Eze will have the opportunity to impress Arteta further in Arsenal’s challenging trip to Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon, with last season’s Premier League runners-up already five points behind league leaders Liverpool.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Very Special’—Eberechi Eze Reacts to First Arsenal Goal, Mikel Arteta Issues Warning.
