Eberechi Eze delivered a sensational hat-trick in his first-ever north London derby, powering Arsenal to a dominant win over Tottenham Hotspur.
The England international produced three outstanding goals to claim the match ball on a statement afternoon for the Premier League leaders.
Leandro Trossard opened the scoring in the 36th minute with a deflected strike, while Tottenham struggled badly throughout. A brilliant 40-yard hit from Richarlison was the only positive moment in an otherwise miserable derby for Spurs.
Arsenal now sit six points clear at the top of the table, while Tottenham end the weekend in 10th.
This man stole the show — and Declan Rice made sure everyone knew it.
Vicario: “We didn’t fight”
Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario didn’t hold back when speaking to Sky Sports after the defeat.
“A very bad night for us. We have to apologise to the people who watch us because they expect a fight and tonight we didn’t.
As a collective we didn’t fight… it’s not negotiable. We know what we need to address.”
Spurs’ unbeaten run collapses
A dream day for Arsenal, a nightmare for Tottenham.
By full-time, only about a quarter of the Spurs away end remained, with most fans leaving early after watching their side fall apart. After a promising start under Thomas Frank, Spurs have slid down to ninth — 11 points behind Arsenal. Pressure is quickly mounting on the former Brentford boss.
Can anyone catch Arsenal now?
Arsenal were flawless and now sit six points ahead of Chelsea.
They’re seven clear of Manchester City, and Liverpool are even further back.
It’s still early, but Mikel Arteta couldn’t have asked for a better position heading into December.
Match Dashboard: Arsenal 4–1 Tottenham
Arsenal overwhelmed Spurs statistically:
- 17 shots to Tottenham’s 3
- 8 on target to Spurs’ 2
- A huge expected-goals advantage
The data tells the same story everyone saw on the pitch.
Derby drama: tempers flare
The game wasn’t heated overall, but Declan Rice brought down Xavi Simons late in the second half, sparking a confrontation. Both Rice and Pedro Porro were shown yellow cards.
Vicario apologises to the away end
The Spurs keeper crossed the pitch at full-time to apologise to the remaining fans, despite not being at fault for the goals conceded. Most supporters had already left early.
The Briefing
The Athletic breaks down the key talking points:
- Did this weekend shift the title race?
- Did Thomas Frank get his tactics wrong?
- What made Eze so unstoppable?
- How did Arsenal break through Spurs’ back five?
- How did Piero Hincapié perform?
Eberechi Eze reacts to his hat-trick
Eze went home with the match ball and the man-of-the-match award — and he was emotional speaking to Sky Sports:
“Enjoyable. I’m happy to help the team. It’s special. I prayed for a hat-trick today and I got it.
The second goal was my favourite. All my family were here — that makes it even more special.”
Why Eze was the standout performer
The Athletic’s data showed Eze dominated the game:
- 8 attacking sequence involvements (most)
- 2 progressive passes
- 12 total carries
He was central to everything Arsenal created.
