Eze stakes claim for Arsenal No 10 in Cup win over Port Vale

Eberechi Eze staked a serious claim for Arsenal’s No 10 role as the Gunners beat Port Vale 2-0 in the Carabao Cup, delivering a performance that combined poise, movement and incisive finishing. The 27-year-old, deployed in a central role for the first time this season, operated with license and ease, suggesting Mikel Arteta could have a genuine selection headache in the weeks ahead.

Arsenal set the tone in a first half of patient, possession-heavy football, and Eze and Ethan Nwaneri were deployed as a pair of central midfielders in a 4-4-2 arrangement described by observers as two eights. It was a tactical tweak aimed at giving Eze the space to operate in the area where he thrives, the No 10 pocket, while allowing Saka to stretch the play on the right. The immediate result was a fluent, if not outright dominant, display against a Port Vale side buoyed by a raucous atmosphere in the ground, the biggest crowd there since the 1990s as the club celebrated its 150th anniversary.

The opener came from a move built on Arsenal’s right. A delicious flick from Myles Lewis-Skelly set up Martinelli to deliver a cross into the six-yard box, where Eze finished for his first goal in Arsenal colors. It was the kind of finish that underscored his instinctive movement and his ability to arrive at the right moment, rather than relying on pace alone. The goal illustrated what Eze can bring when given central access to space and options, something he had rarely enjoyed in Bilbao last week when he was deployed on the left flank.

The balance of the game was increased after the break, with Eze also contributing in the build-up and moments of control. A moment just before the hour mark showed the confidence and technical quality that Arsenal believe Eze can bring on a regular basis: he flicked a ball with his left foot from the edge of the box, a deft touch that set up a promising sequence with Lewis-Skelly as Arsenal probed for a second.

Arsenal’s second arrived soon after, courtesy of Leandro Trossard, adding a degree of comfort to the scoreboard and sealing the result. In the closing stages, Eze waited at the edge of the box for Nwaneri to fizz a corner in his direction, and though he could not convert, the moment underscored the trust Arteta places in him to influence transitions in the final third.

Two facts stood out as the night evolved. First, the reoriented midfield shape allowed Eze to influence play higher up the pitch rather than spending the night chasing in the wide areas. Second, the performance came against a Vale team making a noise that echoed through the stadium, a reminder that a Cup night can magnify the spotlight and the stakes for a player trying to sew himself into a starting XI.

Those around him could not quite reach the same level, though Saka and Martinelli contributed to the general rhythm without delivering the decisive moments. Saka, the captain, logged an hour as he builds up match fitness after a hamstring issue, while Martinelli operated from the left with his usual industry and pace. But the night belonged to Eze, whose display gave Arteta something to chew over ahead of a potentially pivotal period in the fixture list. For former Gunners defender Martin Keown, the answer was clear: Eze, not Merino, should have featured as the central hub at Manchester City, because Eze’s strengths lie in a central role where he can orchestrate in tighter spaces. If Odegaard returns from shoulder problems for Newcastle on Sunday, Arsenal will need to weigh how best to balance the No 10 duties with the captain’s influence and the ongoing adaptability of the midfield two.

The official match ratings reflected the merit of Eze’s night. Port Vale’s Gauci earned a fine score for his work in goal, while Arsenal’s lineup showed a spread of contributions across the pitch. Eze topped the list for Arsenal with a 7.5, while Saliba and Martinelli also featured prominently, and Nwaneri and Merino contributed to the controlled tempo that defined large portions of the game. The numbers also showed the contrast between the Cup atmosphere and the more measured pace of league play, as Edouard Mendy’s late-season availability remains a distant memory for fans who have watched the club deliberate over its midfield architecture.

The result, and the performance, come at a time when Arsenal face the practicalities of rotation and heavy fixture periods. Odegaard’s expected return from shoulder injuries at Newcastle looms as a major factor that could influence Arteta’s selection choices in the weeks ahead, including whether Eze remains a central figure or reverts to a wide role if needed. The two-eights approach used on Wednesday night provides a blueprint for how Eze could be deployed at home or in similar matches against lower-ranked opposition when space is available to exploit his strengths in the half-spaces and the central channel. It remains to be seen whether this is a one-off reconfiguration or a longer-term plan designed to maximize the squad’s collective ceiling.

Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Port Vale will be remembered for the moment Eze staked his claim, but it also offered a snapshot of a squad in transition. The 150th anniversary crowd left more than a memory of a Cup night; they left with a sense that Arteta’s side can adapt to the resources at hand and that Eze’s evolution could be a deciding factor as the season progresses. The next weeks will be telling as the team navigates a busy calendar and as Arteta weighs how best to align his attack, his midfield, and his captain in a way that keeps both cohesion and pace intact.

Arsenal will return to league action with a clear question: can Eze sustain the central role and, more importantly, can the team maintain balance with Odegaard’s availability and Nwaneri’s continued development? For now, the answer is yes, Eze can be a decisive central presence, and Arteta has a fresh headache worth having as the season unfolds.