Eberechi Eze on Sunday scored a majestic hat-trick for Arsenal as they trounced north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 to open up a commanding six-point lead at the top of the English Premier League.
For 36 minutes the derby was a cagey contest with Tottenham frustrating Mikel Arteta’s side, but the hosts struck three times in 10 minutes either side of halftime.
Leandro Trossard broke the deadlock from close range before Eze, the player Arsenal snatched in a summer transfer tussle with Tottenham, rifled in Arsenal’s second after 41 minutes.
Photo: AFP
The second half was only seconds old when Eze again found space on the edge of the area to dispatch another shot inside the post and put his side in complete control.
Tottenham got a lifeline out of the blue in stunning fashion in the 55th minute when Richarlison lobbed Arsenal keeper David Raya from near the center circle.
The visitors were more of a threat in the second half, but Arsenal never really looked troubled, and Eze completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute with another clinical finish.
Arsenal, unbeaten in nine league games, have 29 points from 12 games, with second-placed Chelsea on 23. Tottenham’s first away league defeat of the season left them ninth on 18 points.
Eze was at the center of a summer transfer battle between the two north London clubs, with Arsenal scooping the former Crystal Palace forward from under the noses of their rivals.
If that was not bad enough, the England international rubbed Tottenham’s noses in it on Sunday as he lit up his first north London derby in scintillating fashion.
Tottenham had been impressive away from home under new manager Thomas Frank with no defeats and only three goals conceded in the Premier League before Sunday.
Frank set his side up conservatively for his first taste of the derby with containment not entertainment on his mind.
Three central defenders, two holding midfielders and deep fullbacks restricted Arsenal to just one real chance in the opening half an hour with Eze’s scooped pass met on the volley by Declan Rice and Guglielmo Vicario saving well.
Vicario was not called into serious action again until the 33rd minute when he sprang to his right to keep out a Bukayo Saka free-kick.
However, the breakthrough came soon after as, for once, Arsenal found space in the Tottenham area with Mikel Merino’s chipped pass controlled by Trossard with his back to goal.
The Belgian took a touch and his shot on the turn nicked off Micky van de Ven to give Vicario no chance.
Tottenham’s negative game plan was in tatters when Eze turned on the edge of the area, and fired a low shot through a crowd and beyond Vicario.
The visitors sent on attacking midfielder Xavi Simons at halftime, but within seconds of the restart it was effectively all over as a contest as once again Eze was allowed too much time, and he thrashed a shot past Vicario.
Tottenham had not landed a glove on Arsenal for 55 minutes, but scored with their first shot on target as Joao Palhinha won the ball just inside Arsenal’s half and Richarlison, spotting Raya off his line, floated a 45m shot into the net.
It maintained Tottenham’s record of scoring in every away derby at Arsenal since 2017 and for a while they were re-energized.
However, any hope of a comeback ended when Eze yet again found space, and his finish was sublime.
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