Eberechi Eze guarantees that he will continue to take penalties for England and Arsenal, despite the recent error in the Champions League final, decided in a penalty shoot-out in favor of Paris Saint-Germain. The England international emphasizes that he does not intend to change his technique — running slowly and bumpily — and that he will use the episode to improve.
The attacking midfielder ended his first season in London with an overall positive result, crowned by winning the Premier League and important goals throughout the calendar. Still, the European outcome left a bitter taste, as the missed penalty in the decision helped PSG lift the trophy.
Eze's penalty numbers in normal time are solid: he has converted 8 of the 10 he has taken for QPR, England Under-21s and Crystal Palace. For Arsenal, he still hasn't had the opportunity - a scenario that is unlikely to change with Viktor Gyokeres in the team - and, in penalty shoot-outs, he has 1-3: he scored in the English League Cup against Bournemouth, but failed in the English Super Cup against Liverpool last summer.
When asked before the World Cup if he would stick to his decision to take a possible penalty for England this summer, Eze was emphatic: "If they call me, of course. Why wouldn't I win? All the great players have missed important penalties, they've been through moments like this. I've received messages from everyone talking about it. For me, it's not something I wish had never happened. I'm grateful it happened. I'll grow from it, learn and move on. Football has it all and we have to accept everything as it is, make the most of it. Playing in a Champions League final is where I want to be, it's what I want to do again next season and if there's a penalty to take, I'll be there again."
Faced with criticism of his run to the ball — slow and intermittent —, Eze was also clear about a possible adjustment: "No. I've been taking penalties for a long time and that's part of the way. It's about continuing to improve, finding new ways to evolve. I'm not going to stress myself out too much because I know I'm in this position for a reason and with all the training I have behind it."