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The Arsenal fairytale that unfolded for Eberechi Eze against Crystal Palace

Eze enjoyed a memorable return to Selhurst Park
Eberechi Eze, Arsenal
Eberechi Eze, Arsenal | Photo by Sebastian Frej/Getty Images

Eberechi Eze has plenty of memories at Selhurst Park, and on Sunday, he was handed another. Eze enjoyed a fruitful spell at Selhurst Park with Crystal Palace, helping the club win the FA Cup, its first major trophy, and securing European football for the first time.

Eze has plenty of top memories at the home of Palace, but he had to celebrate others' success during his last game there as a Palace player. Eze and his teammates gave Liverpool a guard of honour at the end of last season, applauding the then recently crowned champions.

How things change - Eze turns champion

He then had to wait a full year to return to Selhurst Park, finally getting back to his old stomping ground as an Arsenal player. But in a strange twist of events, Eze ended up lifting the Premier League trophy with Arsenal at Selhurst Park, with the Eagles allowing the Gunners to have a full trophy lift ceremony in front of the away end.

Eze played a key role in Arsenal winning their first Premier League title in 22 years, He scored seven and assisted two during the title run, and his impact goes beyond the goal and assist stats. It will come as no surprise to Palace fans that Eze has succeeded at Arsenal, and most will be pleased for him, given how well he served the Eagles.

But it must have been very strange for him to lift the trophy in Arsenal colours at Selhurst Park, where he spent so much time, and go from applauding the champions to being applauded as a champion. And to top all that off, Palace fans gave him a standing ovation upon his return.

He is eyeing more success, too, with the Champions League final against PSG taking place this weekend.

"It's faith," Eze told Sky Sports after winning the league title. "Faith and belief. It's showing itself in so many different places. I just feel like everyone's got this feeling that we can do it, that we can achieve things. I feel like that feeling is all over the place, really."

Attention will then turn to next season, when Eze will surely be targeting becoming a bonified starter, having been in and out during his first season with the club. There is no shame in that, given the ridiculous competition for places in this ultra-talented Arsenal squad, which is certainly by design.

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