Football Review | Arsenal 4 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur
Eberechi Eze claimed his first senior hat-trick as Arsenal swept aside their north London rivals.
This moved them six points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Author | DJ
Stadium | Emirates Stadium
Spurs manager Thomas Frank set up with a five-man defence in an effort to keep things tight at Emirates Stadium, but his side struggled to cope with the pace and authority of the league leaders.
Leandro Trossard broke the deadlock in the 36th minute, finishing confidently after a fine through ball from Mikel Merino. Arsenal’s control only grew and Eze, who came close to joining Spurs in the summer before Arsenal stepped in late, doubled the lead before the interval, gliding past two defenders on the edge of the area and firing beyond Guglielmo Vicario.
Frank abandoned his defensive approach at half-time, introducing Xavi Simons to inject some attacking urgency into a side badly short of spark.
Any hopes of a response vanished within seconds of the restart as Eze bent a left-footed effort into the bottom corner from the edge of the box to stretch Arsenal’s lead.
Tottenham spent long spells on the back foot, though Richarlison did offer a brief moment of resistance, lifting the ball over the advancing David Raya from around 40 yards.
Eze restored Arsenal’s cushion in the 76th minute, guiding another composed finish past Vicario to complete an outstanding hat-trick.
Arsenal’s six-point advantage over Chelsea is their largest at this stage of a Premier League campaign as they aim to end a title drought stretching back to 2004 after three consecutive runners-up finishes.
Eze again proves he can be a man for a big occasion
When Arsenal stepped in to beat Tottenham to the signing of Eberechi Eze, it felt like one of the defining moves of the summer window.
Having already invested heavily, the Gunners reacted swiftly after Kai Havertz was injured, hijacking Spurs' pursuit of the England midfielder. Eze, a boyhood Arsenal supporter who spent time in the club's academy before being released, has not looked back.
There were, however, immediate questions about how he would fit into Mikel Arteta's plans. Arsenal did not view him as a natural wide player, placing him in direct competition with Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and Ethan Nwaneri in an already crowded central area.
Odegaard's injury has since opened the door and Eze has taken full advantage, growing in confidence and fluency as he adapts to Arteta's structure. While he often operated from the left at Crystal Palace, at Arsenal he is positioned closer to the right as Arteta seeks to nurture a link with Bukayo Saka.
Making history with his hat-trick.
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 23, 2025
Today's POTM as voted by you: Eberechi Eze 🏅 pic.twitter.com/BzH0ZLXClR
Eze has already delivered several standout moments for his new club, including the assist for Gabriel Martinelli's stoppage-time equaliser against Manchester City, the decisive goal against his old side Palace and now a composed hat-trick in the derby against Spurs.
With five goals and three assists in 15 appearances, he has more goal involvements than any other English player in the Premier League in 2025.
Arsenal sit deservedly at the summit and Eze's ability to unlock a game in an instant is proving central to their title charge.
This was a painful day for Tottenham and Thomas Frank
It has been an uneven start for Thomas Frank at Tottenham, with his cautious approach leaving him with work to do to win over supporters, and this defeat will only strain that relationship further.
Spurs arrived unbeaten away from home in the league, yet they rarely looked capable of troubling their fiercest rivals. Their attacking struggles have been a feature of the season. They average fewer than 10 shots per match, the third-lowest total in the division, and that pattern continued here as they failed to muster an effort in the first half. It was the second time this has happened under Frank, following the defeat to Bournemouth in August.
Frank appeared to accept that his initial plan had misfired, reshaping the side at the interval, but Eze's goal seconds into the second half removed any faint prospect of a revival.
Tottenham sit ninth, yet the table remains tight and they are only three points off the Champions League places. Even so, Frank will need to find a more adventurous balance quickly or risk losing the patience of fans who are growing weary of watching defensive caution come at the expense of creativity.
Comments
Post a Comment