Eberechi Eze shrugs off critics as Arsenal eye glory

“We are just another group of people that have the opportunity to win the Champions League and I pray that we take it. When we do, it will be a special moment for sure.” Fresh from being crowned Premier League champions for the first time in more than two decades, Eze’s words suggest Arsenal are confident of further glory in Europe on Saturday. Eze’s quotes may seem surface-level at first glance, but Arsenal’s No 10 is no stranger to realised prophecy. And Arsenal are no

longer the nearly side; they are a team of believers, doers and winners. So before a ball is kicked in the Champions League final, you have to take heed of his faithful predictions as they have a history of being correct. Transfer Centre LIVE! | Arsenal news & transfers🔴⚪Arsenal fixtures & scores | FREE Arsenal PL highlights▶️Got Sky? Watch Arsenal games LIVE on your phone📱Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺 The Premier League trophy, with Arsenal coloured ribbons,

stood shining at Royal Russell School in south London this week. For Eze, it is now his trophy, which was on show as part of the fourth annual Eze Foundation Invitational. A year ago, Eze was at Crystal Palace holding his Invitational and had just a few days prior crashed in the winning goal in the FA Cup final to secure the Eagles their first major trophy. The Premier League trophy was there on that occasion too, owing to the support the league gives the

Eze Foundation. There was no other reason for it to be there, in truth. But still high off the jubilation of the Palace cup victory, it inspired Eze, just as it did the few hundred young people from south London who stood alongside it, taking pictures. “Everything there is for me to win, I want to win, and I’ll do anything I possibly can to win the Premier League,” he told Sky Sports in May 2025. A year later, he has done it. But standing

next to the Premier League trophy a year later, that same confidence was oozing from Eze’s calm demeanour. “It’s special to be a Premier League champion,” he told Sky Sports. “I’m grateful to God to even have the opportunity to play in such competitions, to run that race. It’s something I won’t get over for a long time, but I know where it came from.” Arsenal’s trophy lift at Eze’s former parish, Selhurst Park, brought an end to 22 years of hurt. Eze’s story is

intertwined within all of that too, with his own years of hurt from joining and then being released by the Gunners before returning in a £60m move. His post on X, formerly known as Twitter, from 2015 that read: “I swear imma make It and when I do, they’re gonna show this tweet lol”. Now it accurately reflects the toils of his own journey, resulting in the realisation of a dream. But the job is not finished. Eze and his team-mates can still make history

by winning the Champions League. Arsenal will take on a Paris Saint-Germain side, led by Luis Enrique, eyeing back-to-back Champions League triumphs. Last summer they put Inter Milan to the sword in a 5-0 thrashing to win a treble. After winning the league, from the outside looking in – there is a confidence in north London. The social media posts and the leaked footage of Mikel Arteta saying Arsenal will be the “champions of Europe”, suggest there is almost an expectation surrounding and within this

Arsenal side. Eze, himself, is relishing the excitement of achieving the unprecedented. Still, Arsenal go into the game with a cloud placed above them by critics questioning their approach. But now it is done and Arsenal have won the Premier League, none of that matters as far as Eze is concerned. “You go through ups and downs and loads of noise in the media,” Eze said. “But, at the end, all that matters is who won. And it doesn’t matter how you won, it doesn’t

matter what you did to win. “To do it how we’ve done it, for me, is also quite special because we’ve blocked out so much noise, so much attention around us. Style of play is very subjective. “There are so many different opinions about it but ultimately, when you are winning games, that’s all that matters.” Eze was aged seven when Arsenal lost their last Champions League final in 2006. Now, in Budapest, Eze has the chance to impact the game himself. “The Champions League

final is what dreams are made of,” Eze added. “These are things that you’ve spoken about and wanted as a kid. To be able actually to be there is a special thing. “Confident? Yeah for sure. I feel like we’ve achieved something that means so much to us and the joy, the confidence, the power that comes with that is special. So I’m sure we’ll be bringing that on the day as well. “It’s quite liberating. It’s an opportunity to do something that has never

been done before. Loads of people have had the opportunity. “We are just another group of people that have the opportunity and I pray that we take it. When we do, it will be a special moment for sure.” From south London to north London, back to south London before returning to north London and lifting the title in south London – Eze’s faith has paid off. But now it is on to Budapest, where one more dream can come true.

Eberechi Eze, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Luis Enrique, Champions League final, Budapest, Premier League champions, Selhurst Park, Mikel Arteta