Arsenal duo Max Dowman and Jurrien Timber got Mikel Arteta’s complex tactical instructions straight away
Arsenal summer signing Eberechi Eze became the fourth player in history to score a hat-trick in the north London derby after helping the Gunners to a 4-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
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The 27-year-old was in fine form against Spurs, and although his work ethic has impressed Arsenal coaches, patience has been required since his move from Crystal Palace.
Eze did not spend pre-season with the Gunners, making it difficult to take on board all of manager Mikel Arteta’s complex tactical instructions.
The Spaniard’s instructions involve a lot of messaging, and Arsenal staff believe Declan Rice also struggled with them early on in 2023, only taking his game to another level after Christmas, when he had fully internalized the Gunners boss’ tactical demands.
One of the many reasons why Arteta loves Jurrien Timber is because he got it right away, according to The Independent.
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Arsenal academy graduate Max Dowman would be the same, but that’s understandably rare.
Eze is starting to fully understand what Arteta wants from him, and the staff believe the Spurs game was the moment things clicked for him.
He was free to play however he wanted at Palace because he was their most talented striker and they played differently to Arsenal.
However, the England international must be absolutely effective with the north London club’s attacking touches as losing possession unnecessarily affects the team structure.
Eze has taken time to understand what Arteta demands of him, and his performance yesterday will be referenced for the rest of his career and beyond.
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Arsenal host Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday before traveling to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Sunday.
The Gunners striker will be eager to impress in these matches and maintain his form going forward, which would not be a problem as long as he continues to do what Arteta wants.