Eberechi Eze: Arsenal forward dismisses critics as Gunners aim for ‘special’ Champions League final win | football news

“We are just another team who have a chance to win the Champions League and I pray that we take it. when We do, it will definitely be a special moment.”

Fresh from being crowned Premier League champions for the first time in more than two decades, Eze says Arsenal are confident of further glory in Europe on Saturday.

Eze’s quote may seem surface-level at first glance, but Arsenal’s No.10 is no stranger to realizing predictions.

And Arsenal are no longer around; They are a group of believers, doers and conquerors. So before kicking a ball in the Champions League final, you should pay attention to his trusted predictions because they have a history of being right.

The Premier League trophy shines with Arsenal’s colorful ribbon at the Royal Russell School in south London this week. For Eze, it is now his trophy, which was displayed as part of the fourth annual Eze Foundation Invitational.

A year ago, EJ earned his invitation to Crystal Palace and just days earlier crashed home the winning goal to secure the Eagles’ first major trophy in the FA Cup final. The event also featured the Premier League trophy, in aid of the League is Foundation.

There was no other reason for it, true.

But the euphoria of winning the Palace Cup is still high, it inspired EJ, as did the hundreds of young people from south London who stood by, taking pictures.

“I have everything to win, I want to win and I will do everything I can to win the Premier League.” He said Sky Sports In May 2025.

A year later, he did. But standing next to the Premier League trophy a year later, that same confidence rose from Eze’s calm demeanor.

He said, being the Premier League champion is special Sky Sports.

“I’m grateful to God to even have the opportunity to play in a race like this, to run that race. It’s something I won’t be able to do for a long time, but I know where it came from.”

Arsenal’s trophy-lifting at Eze’s former parish, Selhurst Park, ended a 22-year spell of injury.

Eze’s story is also intertwined in all of that, his own years of injuries to join and then being released by the Gunners before returning in a £60m move.

His post on X, formerly known as Twitter, from 2015 read: “I swear imma make this and when i do, they will show this tweet”. Now it accurately reflects the toil of his own journey, resulting in a dream come true.

But the work is not finished. EJ and his teammates can still make history by winning the Champions League.

Arsenal, led by Luis Enrique, will face a Paris Saint-Germain side looking to win the Champions League. Last summer they beat Inter Milan 5-0 to win the treble.

From the outside looking in after winning the league – there’s a sense of confidence in North London.

Social media posts and leaked footage of Mikel Arteta saying Arsenal will be “Champions of Europe” suggest there is almost an expectation around and within Arsenal. EJ himself is enjoying the excitement of the unprecedented achievement.

Still, Arsenal went into the game with critics questioning their approach. But now that it’s done and Arsenal have won the Premier League, none of that matters as far as EJ is concerned.

“You go through ups and downs and a lot of noise in the media,” Eze said.

“But, in the end, what matters is who wins. And it doesn’t matter how you win, it doesn’t matter what you did to win.

“To do it the way we did it was special for me too because we shut out so much noise around us, so much attention. The style of play is very subjective.

“There are a lot of different opinions about it, but at the end of the day, when you’re winning games, that’s what matters.”

Eze was seven when Arsenal lost their last Champions League final in 2006.

“The Champions League final is what dreams are made of,” added EJ.

“These are things you say and want as a kid. It’s a special thing to actually be able to be there.

“Confidence? Yeah sure. I think we’ve achieved something that means a lot to us and the joy, the confidence, the energy that comes with it is special. So I’m sure we’ll bring that to the day as well.

“It’s pretty liberating. It’s an opportunity to do something that’s never been done before. A lot of people have had the opportunity.

“We’re just another team that has an opportunity and I pray that we take it. When we do, it will be a special moment for sure.”

From South London to North London, back to North London before returning to South London and picking up the title in South London – Eze’s faith has paid off.

But now it’s in Budapest, where another dream can come true.