Eberechi Eze (£7.5m) completed his transfer to Arsenal over the weekend.
The 27-year-old, who had previously been linked with a move to north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, has joined the Gunners for an initial fee of £60m, which could rise to £67.5m with potential add-ons.
We take a look at Eze’s Fantasy Premier League (FPL) prospects in this Moving Target piece, where we have included data and images taken from our Premium Members Area and StatsBomb.
EZE: THE FPL HISTORY
| Season | Starts (sub apps) | Mins | Goals | Assists | Bonus | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024/25 | 31 (3) | 2,588 | 8 | 8 | 15 | 148 |
| 2023/24 | 24 (3) | 2,055 | 11 | 5 | 11 | 136 |
| 2022/23 | 30 (8) | 2,636 | 10 | 5 | 21 | 159 |
| 2021/22 | 6 (7) | 605 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 31 |
| 2020/21 | 29 (5) | 2,559 | 4 | 8 | 17 | 125 |
Eze joined Crystal Palace from Queens Park Rangers in the summer of 2020.
During five seasons at Selhurst Park, the 27-year-old scored 34 goals and provided 27 assists in 146 Premier League appearances.
His form notably picked up following the reappointment of Roy Hodgson in 2022/23, as he finished as the club’s top scorer with 10 goals. His goal output continued to improve in the subsequent campaign as well.
In 2024/25, Eze recorded eight goals and as many assists while playing under Oliver Glasner. He particularly flourished in the latter part of the season, emerging as the second-highest scoring midfielder in FPL from Gameweek 30 onwards, with 62 points.
GOAL THREAT
Eze takes a lot of shots. In 2024/25, he racked up 102 of them. To put this into perspective, that’s at least 30 more than any other Arsenal player, even while playing for an inferior team.
When looking at his shot output on a per 90 minutes (p90) basis, Eze averaged 3.54, which closely aligns with Bukayo Saka’s (£10.0m) 3.47.
Eze’s shot selection wasn’t always the best, mind.
He had the sixth-most shots in the Premier League in 2024/25, but the majority of those efforts were from outside the box. It meant his expected goals (xG) per shot figure was a mere 0.08.
Eze underperformed his non-penalty xG last season (-1.92 delta), although this wasn’t a problem for him in 2023/24 (+1.66) or 2022/23 (+2.47).
ASSIST POTENTIAL
Eze created 58 chances in the 2024/25 season, the most of any Palace player. This figure was surpassed by only two Arsenal assets: Martin Odegaard (£8.0m), who created 63 chances, and Declan Rice (£6.5m), with 59.
As the graphic below shows, the majority of Eze’s chances created in open play came from the left half-space:
Eze has the potential to restore balance to the Arsenal team, as evidenced by the fact that 36.9% of their chances created in the 2024/25 season originated from the right, compared to 30.4% from the left.
Additionally, Eze completed 2.33 dribbles p90, surpassing all players from both Palace and Arsenal who played at least 1,000 minutes.
SET-PIECES
Eze is a very decent set-piece taker, having led Palace in set-play shots last season with a total of 36.
20 of the 58 chances he created derived from corners and free-kicks, too, underlining his effectiveness in dead-ball situations.
Set pieces are, of course, a hallmark of Arsenal’s approach under Mikel Arteta. It’s another factor to consider, given that Eze could now vie with Saka, Rice and Odegaard for a share of dead-ball duties. They could, potentially, add another string to his bow and could ultimately decide his fate as a Fantasy attraction this season.
Eze took a couple of penalties for Palace last term, scoring one and missing one. However, it seems likely that Viktor Gyokeres (£9.0m) will be Arsenal’s main taker in 2024/25. Saka and Odegaard could also be ahead of Eze in the pecking order.
WHERE DOES EZE FIT INTO THE ARSENAL SIDE?
The big question for Fantasy managers is this – where does Eze fit into the Arsenal team?
Under Glasner, Eze played as the left-sided attacker in a 3-4-2-1 formation, essentially playing as a No 10.
Upon his unveiling at Arsenal, Mikel Arteta said this:
“I think he has the capacity to create these magic moments. He can do it from different positions, different situations. He’s got that flair, he’s got that charisma as well about him that is very contagious, and let’s use it in the right way. He can play different positions, we know he can play as an attacking midfielder, right or left, he doesn’t care. He plays shifted off the left as well. He’s very comfortable there. We’ll gather information again the moment he’s on that pitch and starts to link and feel a connection with people. I’m sure we will find the right place for him.” – Mikel Arteta on Eberechi Eze
So Eze is capable of playing off the left, the right or in one of the central attacking midfield roles.
However, given the presence of Saka, Odegaard and Rice, his chances of securing a starting position ahead of any of them is slim. As a result, Eze is far more likely to offer cover in these positions, rather than accumulate significant playing time when everyone is fit.
Eze is therefore expected to play off the left, a position that feels most up for grabs at Arsenal due to the inconsistencies of both Gabriel Martinelli (£7.0m) and Leandro Trossard (£6.9m). With the freedom to roam in the pockets, he’s a serious upgrade on both.
Additionally, Arsenal have sometimes struggled to break down low blocks in the past, so there are some instances where Eze could be used as the left-sided No 8, with Rice anchoring the midfield.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Wherever Eze plays, there probably doesn’t need to be a rush for his services in FPL, given the unattractive nature of his next four fixtures.
However, from Gameweek 7 onwards, Eze has a run of matches that ranks first in terms of attacking potential on our Season Ticker. It allows Fantasy managers to monitor his performances closely before considering a transfer further down the line.
Away from the fixtures, there are valid reasons to have some uncertainty about Eze from a Fantasy perspective, particularly with the added rotation concerns once everyone is fit.
His arrival is likely to provide Arsenal with a significant attacking boost, however.
The Gunners often lacked creativity in 2024/25, as they became over-reliant on Saka and Odegaard. Indeed, Arteta’s side were only seventh for open play xG last season, so acquiring an attacker of Eze’s creative profile should help in that regard.
Another factor to consider is that the arrival of Eze should help Gyokeres become an even better Fantasy asset, given his ability to play accurate passes in-behind. His ball-carrying ability should help free up Saka, too.
Finally, Eze has the potential to offer value as a £7.5m midfielder, but his chances of cementing a regular starting position and taking on a prominent role at set-pieces are vital to his Fantasy prospects.
Frustratingly, a move to Tottenham would surely have handed us an immediate contender for our five-man midfields. A role in ‘the hole’ behind Richarlison (£6.7m) or Dominic Solanke (£7.4m) looked a hugely enticing proposition; at Arsenal, however, Eze, for all his undoubted quality, faces a significant challenge to establish himself as one of the very best mid-price midfielders in FPL.
