November 23, (THEWILL) — Eberechi Eze scored only the fourth hat-trick in North London Derby history on Sunday, inspiring Arsenal to a 4-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur that extended the Gunners’ lead at the English Premier League summit to six points.
The midfielder, who came close to joining Spurs during the summer transfer window, proved decisive at the Emirates after Leandro Trossard had opened the scoring.
Mikel Arteta made a single change from the team that drew 2-2 at Sunderland, handing Piero Hincapié his first EPL start in place of the injured Gabriel Magalhães.
Arsenal controlled possession but found it difficult to break down a Tottenham side that showed little ambition.
Declan Rice saw an early volley saved after Eze’s clever pass, whilst Bukayo Saka forced Guglielmo Vicario into action from a free-kick.
Trossard opened the scoring with a deflected finish after Mikel Merino’s pass found him in behind the defence.
Eze added a second goal shortly afterwards, then struck again within a minute of the second half starting. Thomas Frank introduced Xavi Simons at the interval, but the substitution failed to alter Tottenham’s fortunes.
Richarlison produced the visitors’ sole moment of quality with an excellent long-range effort that sailed over David Raya.
Arsenal quickly regained control, with Eze completing his hat-trick by firing a crisp right-footed shot past Vicario from just inside the penalty area.
The result leaves Arsenal in a strong position at the top of the table, with their performance demonstrating their championship credentials.
For Tottenham, the defeat prolongs their poor recent record at the Emirates, where they have not won a league match since 2010. The loss intensifies scrutiny on Frank’s tactics in major matches.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
