Eberechi Eze produced a stunning hat‑trick as Arsenal beat north London rivals Tottenham 4-1 at the Emirates, moving six points clear at the top of the Premier League. Leandro Trossard opened the scoring after picking up a precise pass from Mikel Merino, and Eze followed with a composed finish into the bottom corner after some stylish footwork.
Spurs boss Thomas Frank switched to a back four at half‑time and brought on Xavi Simons, but Arsenal struck early after the break: Eze turned provider and scorer, netting again just 35 seconds into the second half with another calm finish. Richarlison briefly threatened a Spurs revival with an audacious 35‑yard lob over David Raya, but Eze wrapped up his treble with a superb curling effort beyond Guglielmo Vicario to seal the win.
Eze, who had been linked with Tottenham before joining Arsenal in August, enjoyed a perfect first north London derby for his new club. He became only the fourth player in Arsenal history to score a treble against Tottenham, and his performance helped the Gunners claim a fourth consecutive derby victory.
The result came after defeats for Manchester City and Liverpool earlier in the weekend, allowing Arsenal to open a six‑point gap on second‑placed Chelsea. Arsenal now head to Stamford Bridge next Sunday. Tottenham’s loss ended their unbeaten away Premier League run under Frank and left them ninth in the table; Spurs managed just three shots and recorded an expected‑goals (xG) of 0.07 — the lowest by any side in a Premier League match this season.
Player ratings
Arsenal: Raya 6, Timber 8, Saliba 8, Hincapie 8, Calafiori 7, Zubimendi 7, Rice 8, Eze 9, Saka 8, Trossard 8, Merino 8. Subs: Madueke 6, Nwaneri (n/a), Mosquera (n/a), Lewis‑Skelly (n/a).
Spurs: Vicario 6, Danso 4, Romero 5, Van de Ven 5, Spence 5, Palhinha 5, Bentancur 4, Udogie 5, Kudus 5, Richarlison 6, Odobert 4. Subs: Simons 5, Kolo Muani 5, Sarr 5, Johnson 6, Porro 6.
Player of the Match: Eberechi Eze
Mikel Arteta hailed the performance as special, praising the team’s preparation, intensity and consistency across both halves. Eze described the afternoon as memorable, saying it was “what I prayed for” and that having his family in attendance made the moment even more meaningful. When asked about past links to Spurs, he declined to dwell on them.
Thomas Frank admitted the display was below expectations, apologising to supporters and calling it a painful night after a performance that fell short of the team’s intentions.
The win consolidates Arsenal’s momentum at the summit and raises questions about Spurs’ attacking threat as they regroup for upcoming fixtures.