Morning.
If you wish to get your week off to an excellent begin, to go about your Monday with a smile in your face, then merely go to the official Arsenal web site and watch Ian Wright interview Eberechi Eze. Clearly there’s the Crystal Palace connection, with each of them sharing that frequent pathway, however it goes means past that.
For Eze, having been launched by the membership at 13, to return again 14 years later, is basically a dream fulfilled. He says:
I keep in mind the day I acquired launched, my mum stated a prayer that this reverse would occur. For me, it is a realisation of a prayer that we prayed for. That is deeper than anybody can perceive. I can see God’s hand in it, so I do know it’s meant to be.
I nonetheless haven’t totally processed the whole lot, I’m simply floating proper now. I’ll go residence, go over the whole lot, converse with individuals after which I’ll begin to settle in. However, I do know what this factor is, I do know what it means, and I do know the place we’ve come from as a household.
And on carrying the quantity 10 shirt, following in some very profitable footprints down the years:
I do know what it means. It’s a privilege and an honour, as a result of I do know the names which have worn this shirt earlier than me. I see this chance as one thing that’s like a blessing, so simply to have the ability to be right here, I’m going to offer the whole lot I’ve to pay again this kind of respect.
Everybody loves a brand new signing, however I can’t actually keep in mind one which has include such emotional heft earlier than. It’s not simply the homecoming facet although. It’s about what an excellent participant he’s; it’s about what he can add to this staff; it’s about his journey; it’s about what it says of the membership’s intentions and ambitions; and it’s about how his first sit down with the membership is with a beloved membership legend, indirectly linking distinct eras of our historical past.
Ian Wright’s final recreation for Arsenal was on the tenth of Might 1998, over 27 years in the past now. A younger man or lady born that summer time may properly be having their very own household now, so we’re speaking totally different generations, however that linear connection – which you’ll really feel from the video, and the half the place Wrighty casually drops a message from Thierry Henry – is how soccer fandom works. Your dad’s dad made him a fan, and he made you a fan, and your youngsters can be followers, and so it goes.
You may’t watch it and never be moved, except you might have a coronary heart of stone. And I don’t suppose that’s true of anyone studying this this morning. It’s why a petition has been arrange to honour Ian Wright with a statue – and actually, it’s a query we get constantly for the Arsecast Additional. Folks ask ‘When?!’, and I don’t know what to say to that apart from, ‘Yesterday. Or no less than ASAP’. Who would argue it isn’t one thing he deserves? Stone-hearts, that’s who, however let’s not fear about these varieties of individuals.
Anyway, get pleasure from that interview as a strategy to begin your week in the appropriate means, and hopefully that theme continues as preliminary experiences over the weekend damage points are extra promising than I had anticipated.
🚨 Some encouraging information for Arsenal: scans counsel neither Martin Odegaard nor Bukayo Saka’s damage are as severe as first feared.Story w/ @dansheldon.bsky.social _ for @theathleticfc.bsky.social @garyjacob.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/657…
— Gunnerblog (@gunnerblog.bsky.social) 2025-08-24T16:02:16.811Z
After all, it’s relative. If Arsenal feared Saka may very well be out for months and it’s only a few weeks, that’s clearly excellent news, however nonetheless means we’ll be with out him for a visit to Anfield. Martin Odegaard was set to do a signing on the Armoury right now, which the membership have cancelled because of the damage, however let’s see the way it performs out over the course of the week. My suspicion is that formally we most likely gained’t hear an excessive amount of, we all know how Mikel Arteta likes to play his playing cards near his chest, however maybe coaching photos would be the inform.
What is obvious although is that dropping Saka, Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Ben White within the first week of the brand new season is way from ultimate. Arteta spoke brazenly about the necessity to examine the litany of accidents which prompted us a lot trouble final season, and whereas this may properly be a case of unlucky timing/coincidence, it’s nonetheless an issue – even if in case you have a deeper squad with a greater skill to manage. Hopefully the week brings optimistic information, and no extra accidents.
Proper, I’ll go away it there for this morning. We’ll have an Arsecast Additional for you in a short while. We’ve already put out the decision for questions on BlueSky @gunnerblog.bsky.social and @arseblog.com with the hashtag #arsecastextra – or in the event you’re an Arseblog Member on Patreon, go away your query within the #arsecast-extra-questions channel on our Discord server.
Pod needs to be out round midday. Till then, have an excellent one.
