Arsenal midfielder Eberechi Eze delivered a stunning hat-trick as the Premier League leaders crushed Tottenham 4–1 in a dominant north London derby display on Sunday, further strengthening their title push.
Mikel Arteta’s side overpowered a passive Spurs team, with Leandro Trossard and Eze scoring before the break at the Emirates Stadium. Eze — who rejected Tottenham’s interest to join Arsenal in the summer — struck twice more in the second half to complete one of the most memorable derby performances in recent history.
Richarlison responded with a sublime 35-yard lob, but it proved nothing more than a consolation. Eze’s treble became only the fourth hat-trick ever recorded in a north London derby, following legends Ted Drake, Terry Dyson and Alan Sunderland.
The Gunners, held by Sunderland’s late equaliser before the international break, bounced back emphatically. Eze’s finest outing since his £60 million switch from Crystal Palace ensured Arsenal extended their unbeaten run to 15 matches in all competitions while moving six points clear at the top, capitalising on Manchester City’s loss at Newcastle.
Tottenham, who arrived with the league’s best away record, were undone by a strategy that backfired badly. Manager Thomas Frank, already under scrutiny for a conservative approach, deployed five defenders but saw his side rarely venture near the Arsenal box. His call for Spurs to embrace the “controlled chaos” of derby day never materialised, with the only chaos seen in their overwhelmed defence.
Arsenal were rewarded for their superior tempo and sharpness, breaking the deadlock in the 36th minute. With Viktor Gyokeres injured, Mikel Merino again operated as a makeshift striker, dropping deep to clip a superb pass over the Spurs back line for Trossard, whose deflected finish beat Guglielmo Vicario.
Eze doubled the lead five minutes later, collecting Declan Rice’s pass and weaving past defenders before driving in a precise low shot — a perfect rebuttal to Frank’s dismissive “Who’s Eze?” quip earlier in the week.
Tottenham introduced Xavi Simons at half-time, but within 35 seconds Eze struck again, exploiting static defending to fire home Arsenal’s third.
Richarlison’s spectacular 55th-minute strike briefly ignited hope, but it remained Spurs’ first and only shot of the game. Eze restored Arsenal’s three-goal cushion in the 76th minute, blasting in from 12 yards after being teed up by Trossard.
Arsenal, unbeaten in their last seven derbies and now with just one home loss to Spurs in 33 meetings, recorded their biggest victory over their rivals since 2012. The result comes at a crucial moment as they prepare for a Champions League clash with Bayern Munich and a league trip to second-placed Chelsea.
With Manchester City stuttering and Liverpool in disarray, Arsenal continue to push strongly for their first Premier League crown since 2004 — and Eze’s derby masterclass may prove a defining moment in that pursuit.
