Eberechi Eze said Arsenal are a joy to play for when their attacking game clicks, after helping inspire a devastating second-half performance against Lille in the Champions League last week.
The Gunners swept aside the Ligue 1 visitors with three goals inside seven minutes at Emirates Stadium, sealing a 3-0 victory and maintaining a perfect record of two wins from two in this season’s Champions League.
Eze opened his account for the campaign, scoring between superb efforts from Jurrien Timber and Bukayo Saka. Asked what it is like to operate in an Arsenal forward line when the football is flowing, the midfielder could not hide his enjoyment.
“It’s enjoyable!” he said with a laugh. “You know chances can come from everywhere, so you have to stay prepared, get into the right positions and occupy the right areas to finish moves off. It’s a really fun side to play in.
“It was a great team display. We controlled the match, and we love to win, which is the most important thing.
“I always want to be on the pitch and I always want to score. That is my mindset, and I will continue to work hard and keep driving forward.”
Although Arsenal’s eventual margin of victory underlined their control, Lille made them battle for the points. Les Dogues remained resilient for an hour before Arsenal finally found the opening goal.
With the teams level at 0-0 at half-time, Eze explained that Mikel Arteta’s message was not to make wholesale changes, with the manager confident that the breakthrough would arrive.
That assessment was proved right as the introductions of Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka brought added attacking threat. Their impact helped Arsenal put the contest out of reach and provided an encouraging platform ahead of next week’s visit to Bayern Munich.
On Arteta’s half-time instructions, Eze said: “I think it was mainly about continuing in the same way. There were small points we adjusted to give ourselves a little more control, but the overall message was to keep doing what we were doing.
“We had done plenty of good things in the first half too, and the players who came into the game helped us move up another level. Their contribution was really important.
“Matches against major clubs such as Bayern are always exciting. Those are the games you want to play and the level you want to compete at, so I will definitely enjoy it when it arrives.”
