Arsenal midfielder, Eberechi Eze, delivered a sensational hat-trick on Sunday as the Premier League leaders thrashed Tottenham Hotspur 4–1 in a dominant north London derby at the Emirates Stadium.
Eze, who rejected Spurs’ approach to join Arsenal in the summer, produced his best performance since his £60m move from Crystal Palace to extend the Gunners’ unbeaten run to 15 games in all competitions.
Leandro Trossard opened the scoring in the first half before Eze added another, with the England international striking twice more after the break to complete a memorable treble, only the fourth hat-trick in derby history after Ted Drake, Terry Dyson and Alan Sunderland.
Despite arriving with the league’s best away record, Spurs were second best throughout the encounter as Mikel Arteta’s side outclassed Thomas Frank’s men with superior passing, movement and intensity.
The Gunners sealed their biggest derby win since 2012 to capitalise on Manchester City’s defeat at Newcastle, opening a six-point cushion at the top and strengthening their bid for a first league title since 2004.
Arsenal have now lost just once in their last 33 home meetings with Spurs, remaining unbeaten in their last seven derbies.
Tottenham began the match intent on slowing the game with time-wasting at throw-ins and goal-kicks, but Arsenal eventually broke through in the 36th minute.
With Viktor Gyökeres injured, Spain international Mikel Merino again operated as a makeshift striker. Dropping deep, he floated a superb pass over the Spurs defence to Trossard, who twisted past Kevin Danso and fired home via a deflection.
…Eze Punishes Spurs, Answers Frank’s Jibe
Spurs boss Thomas Frank had joked during the week, “Who’s Eze?” when asked about his club’s failure to sign the midfielder in the summer.
In the 41st minute, after collecting a pass from Declan Rice, he weaved through the defence before drilling a low finish past Guglielmo Vicario to double Arsenal’s advantage.
Frank responded by introducing Xavi Simons at half-time, but the change did nothing to stem Arsenal’s momentum.
Just 35 seconds into the second half, Eze pounced again, finishing from close range after more slack defending from the visitors.
Tottenham’s first shot of the game came in the 55th minute, but it was a beauty.
Brazil forward, Richarlison spotted David Raya off his line and lobbed him brilliantly from 35 yards, briefly dampening the atmosphere at the Emirates.
Eze completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute after linking up with Trossard again, smashing in a fierce strike from 12 yards to seal a commanding victory.
The win sets Arsenal up perfectly for a decisive stretch in their season, with Bayern Munich visiting the Emirates in the Champions League on Wednesday, followed by a trip to second-placed Chelsea next weekend.
With Manchester City faltering and Liverpool in disarray, Arteta’s men appear well positioned to mount a serious title push.
Tottenham, meanwhile, face growing scrutiny over Frank’s defensive approach, which looked ill-suited for the intensity of derby football.
