A mural celebrating Eberechi Eze’s imminent signing by Arsenal, painted near the Emirates Stadium, was vandalised shortly after its creation.
The street art, by North Banksy, an Arsenal-supporting artist, was meant to mark the exciting transfer of Eze from Crystal Palace to Arsenal, a significant acquisition in Arsenal’s summer transfer spree, which has spent around £250 million. Eze, 27, was once part of Arsenal’s youth academy but was released, making this signing a notable homecoming.
However, the mural was defaced with white paint and the word “Yids” scrawled nearby-a term that is an antisemitic slur but also reclaimed as an identifier by Tottenham Hotspur fans. This suggested that Spurs supporters were behind the vandalism, highlighting the intense rivalry between the two North London clubs. Tottenham had been keen on signing Eze, but Arsenal managed to hijack the transfer, intensifying tensions.
The defacement caused embarrassment for Tottenham, with Spurs’ manager Thomas Frank publicly stating that the club prefers players with full dedication and that they would not pursue players who lack commitment. Meanwhile, the mural’s artist promised to create a replacement.
And on Saturday, the Gunners fans have repainted the mural of Eze. Journalist Chris Wheatley and other social media handles posted an image of the redecorated Eze mural, which is now captioned as ‘All Roads lead Home’, with Eze in Arsenal shirt as an image. The England international is set to join his new club soon and has already completed his medical.
The Gunners are up against Leeds United at the Emirates on Saturday, and Eze is likely to be unveiled in this weekend. The 27-year-old may not play against Leeds, but he looks on course to feature against Liverpool next weekend in the Premier League.