Mikel Arteta's out of excuses after Arsenal's Eberechi Eze transfer hijack

Arsenal's deal to sign Eberechi Eze means Mikel Arteta is out of excuses if he doesn't win a major trophy this season.

Eze's pending arrival means now is the time. Namely, the time for Arteta to finally be held to account for what he fails to achieve, rather than receiving unwavering faith for what he might do. Make no mistake, the purveyor of "project" and "process" is out of excuses once Eze dons an Arsenal shirt.

It will mark the moment Arteta finally has everything he needs to make good on all the promise. To justify all of the hype.

Arsenal fans have waited patiently for five-and-a-half seasons. The half-season and a bit can be excused because Arteta took over a tired hotchpotch of Arsene Wenger and Unai Emery players mid-stream in December 2019 and still managed to win an FA Cup.

As enjoyable as that impromptu triumph was, it afforded Arteta a leniency he's rarely merited since. Heralded as some sort of tactical savant and revolutionary force, he's failed to deliver the golden era many in the media and the fanbase continue to herald.

Five seasons is more than long enough to have laid the groundwork. Eze has to be the final piece of an over-elaborate and gaudily priced puzzle.

Arteta must provide a return on Arsenal's considerable investment

The squad overhaul and subsequent regenerations since Arteta took over have been staggering. Just consider this Reiss Nelson factoid.

Arteta's been given more money and time than 10 other managers would've received. He's been allowed to replace every ill-fated experiment, think Aaron Ramsdale, Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Thomas Partey and Fábio Vieira, with expensive alternatives. Think David Raya, Kai Havertz, Declan Rice, Riccardo Calafiori, Martin Zubimendi and Viktor Gyökeres.

The latter pair arrived as part of this summer's seven-player yield from the market. An unprecedented spending spree to reward finishing 10 points adrift of the title last season.

Rather than a decline from the previous two campaigns being treated as a moment to cast a critical eye over Arteta's tenure, he's simply gotten more of what he wants. More money, more players, more freedom and authority to steer the ship his own way, come what may.

Joining the €1 billion club must at last put Arteta under genuine pressure to win now and win big.

His chances of doing so have never been better now Arteta's bought what amounts to a pair of ready-made squads.

Eze deal solidifies Arsenal's depth

He won't be a mere depth signing, but Eze's arrival gives the Gunners enviable resources at all key positions. If he takes up the left-wing berth, his most likely starting point, Eze will free up to three players to take on niche but important roles.

First, he'll let Noni Madueke focus more on operating from the right, where he often played his best football for Chelsea. Then Madueke would become the first credible deputy to Bukayo Saka of the Arteta era. Obviously, the little more than £50 million Arsenal paid for Madueke is expensive for a backup, but the price of admission to Arteta's Project Palace is steep.

Madueke being able to cover both flanks does provide hidden value. Namely, how it helps make sense of the surprise decision to extend Leandro Trossard's deal. The Belgian's ability to play as a de facto striker increases Arsenal's options behind Gyökeres.

Trossard and Havertz would offer adequate cover and open the door to selling Gabriel Jesus. After all, Arsenal must start recouping some of this lavish spending at some point, right?

Similarly, Trossard's natural affinity for playing from the left could prompt a few admiring glances from the continent toward a certain Gabriel Martinelli. That rap on the Emirates Stadium door is probably a representative from Bayern Munich.

Better cover out wide and up top will also cement Ethan Nwaneri's new brief as a central creative midfielder. Martin Odegaard finally has some support.

Who knows, Arteta might even be brave enough to start two advanced playmakers. Nosebleed stuff for a manager more comfortable parking the bus than turning on the style.

Maybe Arteta changes tack now he has Eze's mercurial flair at his disposal.

Arsenal solving biggest problem with Eze signing

Beefing up their attacking resources was the priority for the Gunners after they were outgunned by Liverpool in last season's title race, but there was a bigger concern. A problem revealed again during the pedestrian display at Old Trafford.

Arteta's squad has plainly lacked enough artistry to stockpile goals and amass points in clutch moments of a season. That will change once Eze joins the mix, because the 27-year-old regularly produces that something extra to turn a steady move forward into something special.

Whether it's a shot from distance, a clever flick, a timely, well-angled pass or a deft cross, Eze has an innate feel for creating chances and finding the net.

What's more Eze can make these contributions from multiple positions. From either flank or from behind the striker. Putting Eze into the latter spot can help unlock Gyökeres' undoubted talents after a tough English top-flight debut against United.

Eze is the missing element for a playing style Arteta has had more than enough time develop into something besides robotic pressing and an over-reliance on set pieces.

Everything is in place in the forward and creative departments. Just like there's enough muscle and energy in an engine room bossed by Rice, ahead of a defence underpinned by two rugged centre-backs and four quality full-backs.

Arteta has everthing he could want. Now's the time to see if he's really as good as all the hype.

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