Arsenal midfielder Eberechi Eze delivered a
breathtaking hat-trick performance to dismantle Tottenham Hotspur 4–1 in a
fiery north London derby at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, strengthening the
Premier League leaders’ charge for the title.
Leandro Trossard and Eze struck in the first half
before the England international — who rejected Tottenham to join Arsenal in
the summer — completed a sensational treble after the break. Richarlison
briefly reduced the deficit with a spectacular long-range effort, but it proved
only a consolation in a dominant Arsenal display.
Eze’s heroics make him only the fourth player in
history to score a hat-trick in a north London derby, joining Arsenal
legends Ted Drake, Terry Dyson, and Alan Sunderland.
Arsenal Back in Full Flow
Arsenal entered the derby eager to respond after
Sunderland denied them a 10th straight win with a late equaliser before the
international break. Eze’s finest performance since his £60 million switch from
Crystal Palace ensured the Gunners did so in emphatic style.
The victory extends Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all
competitions to 15 matches and stretches their dominance in the derby —
just one defeat in their last 33 home meetings with Spurs.
With Manchester City’s defeat at Newcastle and
Liverpool struggling for consistency, Mikel Arteta’s men now sit six points
clear at the top, seizing momentum ahead of a critical week that includes
the visit of Bayern Munich in the Champions League and a Premier League trip to
Chelsea.
Tottenham Overwhelmed
Despite arriving with the Premier League’s best away
record, Spurs produced a timid and disjointed display. Manager Thomas Frank,
already under pressure for his conservative tactical approach, fielded five
defenders — a decision that backfired as his side rarely threatened Arsenal’s
penalty area.
The absence of Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhães
was widely discussed pre-match, but Tottenham never got close enough to
capitalise.
Frank had called on his players to embrace the
“controlled chaos” of derby day, but the only chaos on display was in Spurs’
overwhelmed defence.
How the Goals Came
36th minute – Trossard 1–0
Arsenal broke through when Mikel Merino, once again deployed as a false
striker, dropped deep and lifted a superb pass over Tottenham’s back line.
Trossard, kept onside by a static Kevin Danso, cut inside and finished via a
deflection.
41st minute – Eze 2–0
Eze, the man Spurs tried and failed to sign in the summer, punished Frank’s
earlier “Who’s Eze?” joke by collecting Declan Rice’s pass, weaving through the
defence and drilling a composed low strike past Vicario.
Eze Takes Control
Frank introduced Xavi Simons at halftime, but the
change did nothing to stem Arsenal’s flow.
46th minute – Eze 3–0
Just 35 seconds into the second half, Tottenham’s flat-footed back line allowed
Eze space to sweep home a sharp finish from inside the area.
55th minute – Richarlison 3–1
Tottenham finally registered their first shot of the match — and what a shot it
was. From 35 yards, the Brazilian lobbed David Raya with an audacious effort to
momentarily silence the Emirates.
76th minute – Eze 4–1
Arsenal restored full control as Trossard slipped in Eze, who hammered home
from 12 yards to complete a magnificent hat-trick and seal the Gunners’ largest
derby win over Spurs since 2012.
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