Eberechi Eze made his long-awaited Arsenal debut on Sunday, but it was not enough to prevent the Gunners from falling to a 1-0 defeat against champions Liverpool at Anfield.
The clash between last season’s top two sides was largely uneventful, with both teams cautious and unwilling to take risks. The deadlock was finally broken in the 80th minute when Dominik Szoboszlai, filling in at right-back, curled in a stunning free-kick to seal victory for the Reds.
One bright spot for Arsenal came in the 70th minute when Eze, signed from Crystal Palace for £67.5 million, was introduced for Gabriel Martinelli. The 26-year-old, who grew up supporting the Gunners, received a warm reception from the away fans and quickly impressed with his energy and composure.
In just 27 minutes, the England international completed all nine of his passes, won three ground duels, and successfully carried the ball forward on his only dribble attempt. His impact down the left flank drew praise from supporters, many of whom compared his lively cameo favourably to Martinelli’s performance.
One Arsenal fan wrote on X: “I saw more in 20 minutes from Eze than I did from Martinelli in the past two seasons.” Another added: “Eze did more in five minutes than Martinelli did all game.”
While the defeat extended Mikel Arteta’s poor record at Anfield, the encouraging debut of Eze gave fans hope for the season ahead. After the international break, Arsenal will host Nottingham Forest at the Emirates, where Eze will be hoping to make his first home appearance in front of the Gunners faithful.