Eberechi Eze didn’t require an elaborate introduction to begin with, though his Premier League hat-trick versus Tottenham Hotspur undoubtedly boosted his profile substantially.
Arsenal emerged victorious with a 4-1 score in the initial North London Derby of the 2025/26 campaign, where new addition Eze proved to be a pivotal force. He skillfully dispatched three impressive shots past Guglielmo Vicario, Tottenham’s goalkeeper, consolidating the Gunners’ position at the Premier League’s summit.
Eze’s expression of joy symbolizes his belief
Prior to Arsenal’s dominant performance against Tottenham, their local adversaries – who were reportedly nearing an agreement to secure Eze’s signing – the 27-year-old had already participated in a match against his former club, Crystal Palace, scoring a goal. However, Mikel Arteta and the Gunners successfully brought their former academy player back into their fold.
Accumulating a total of four goals across two high-stakes games brimming with narrative depth, fans with a keen eye have meticulously observed Eze’s celebratory gestures.
Despite transformations occurring, certain facets remain unaltered. Eze has smoothly adjusted to life at Arsenal, embodying the characteristics of the player who departed Selhurst Park during the summer transfer period. His manner of celebration is yet another enduring aspect.
Eze, acknowledged in FourFourTwo‘s compilation of distinguished attacking midfielders worldwide, commemorated his second goal against Tottenham by positioning a hand over his mouth, his eyes conveying a smile – an understated, playful smirk befitting any derby score.
Nevertheless, it was the initial goal, Arsenal’s second following Leandro Trossard’s opening score, that elicited the celebration most commonly linked with the London-born winger.
After executing three touches and a skillful maneuver past Vicario, increasing the lead to 2-0, Eze deviated and combined a knee slide with the well-known gesture involving overlapping index fingers positioned at right angles in a cross-like formation.
He observed this identical symbol during his time as a player for Crystal Palace, which has been previously validated as a sincere expression of his Christian faith.
Against Tottenham, Eze exemplified his versatility by blending distinct celebratory gestures when achieving multiple scores. A previous instance of scoring twice against the team that was unsuccessful in acquiring his services unveiled valuable insights into the diverse ways the England international expresses joy.
He garnered attention by switching to a telephone-like gesture during May, specifically during the build-up to the summer transfer window and preceding the Eagles’ noteworthy FA Cup triumph over Manchester City.
“Subsequent to each goal, he showcased his distinctive celebratory gesture by interlinking his two index fingers to form a cross-shaped symbol,” reported the Evening Standard.
“The second goal was accompanied by an array of different celebrations, notably the ‘call me’ gesture, where he positioned his hand close to his ear in the manner of holding a telephone.
“Sources connected to Palace have indicated that while Eze consistently employs the crossed fingers celebration after scoring, his additional celebratory actions tend to be spontaneous, reflecting whatever comes to his mind at that specific instant.”
Eze and Arsenal are scheduled to encounter Chelsea in another London derby once Premier League action resumes this weekend.
