Elements of the club’s history, and perhaps future champions. Although it is still much too early to tell, it will be the day when Mikel ArtetaThe Algiers team won the 2025-26 title, it was undeniably the afternoon that Ebéréchi Eze launched like a Arsenal player. Scoring a hat-trick in a north London derby will achieve that, especially when it was only the fourth in the history of that match and the first since 1978. There was of course the added bonus that it was so close to signing for Tottenham Hotspur in summer.
They struggled to get close to him during this 4-1 defeat. Even some within the club were rolling their eyes that this was the essence of Tottenham, but it’s bigger than that. Eze took charge and fled. The third supreme goal was something of a crowning achievement.
Eze celebrates his team’s fourth goal, completing his hat-trick (PA)
There was an electrifying sense of purpose about Eze from the start, which is more than could be said for Spurs. However, it is difficult to know what their goal was.
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They got the defeat their approach deserved, and were lucky it wasn’t much worse. Even accounting for offensive injuries, the depth at which the Spurs sat was maddening. Until Léandro TrossardAfter ‘s clever opening goal, it felt like all they wanted to do was create a massive physical block around their own box. Thomas Frank started with three central halves and plenty of volume around them. Cross us if you dare. Oh.
If we’re talking about fateful days and memorable afternoons, Frank’s approach instead made the first part of this game feel like an eternity.
And yet, all it took was a moment of delightful ingenuity from Mikel Merino for Trossard to open the scoring. Arteta and his team are known to be annoyed by the way pundits talk about the Spain international as a ‘defensive midfielder’ and the way Arsenal’s approach is treated, believing there is not enough attention paid to the way teams like Spurs – and even Manchester City – sit deep against them.
Arsenal certainly went all out on the attack here, at least until it was 3-0 and the game was over. It could have been 5-1 or 6-1 even after Richarlison’s marvelous strike from 40 yards.
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Merino’s offensive quality started it all. In the middle of a mass of bodies, the 29-year-old arched the most artistic little cut pass. Receiving it, it momentarily thought Trossard might have finished it first time, but his clever turn and finish ended up being fully justified – even if it was also deflected.
Trossard scored another big goal for Arsenal with the breakthrough (Action Images via Reuters)
It was also a complete impact. Despite Arsenal’s historic events that occurred after the goal, that was about it for the contest. Game over.
Spurs were so focused on a very fixed approach that they couldn’t change direction. Eze therefore immediately got Arsenal’s second and first – although there was considerable debate over whether he should have been sent off for offside. Spurs couldn’t dispute that it was deserved.
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Arsenal had played all the football. The Spurs looked so empty. Which is now going to be a different discussion.
“Are you Tottenham in disguise” the Arsenal fans sang happily… but which Tottenham?
Can this club only go from extreme to extreme, from Ossie Ardiles and Glenn Hoddle to George Graham and Jose Mourinho?
Thomas Frank’s team were defensive from the start and largely dominated by Arsenal (Reuters)
Tottenham didn’t land a punch until Richarlison’s speculative strike from 40 yards (Getty)
This approach to the derby was diametrically opposed to everything Ange Postecoglou attempted in the Premier League, or even the Europa League.
There may be a middleman, which is what Frank was supposed to offer.
There are plenty of mitigating factors, from injuries to the fact that it’s still relatively early for a manager trying to rebuild this team, but this was still far worse than it should have been.
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They couldn’t have complained too much if the difference was five or six, especially amid a few snow flurries in the second half.
Eze had taken the win to another level with a smart finish early in the second half, but it was his third strike that really showed his own growing qualities.
Unlike Spurs, there was an electrifying goal from the start for Eze (AP)
The playmaker curled the ball exquisitely into the top corner, after a coruscating break ended with Destiny Udogie heading in the wrong direction. There’s that old Geoff Green line about a fire truck heading towards the wrong fire, but Eze was on fire.
Against that, all Spurs had was Richarlison scoring with a speculative, admittedly spectacular strike. A success and a hope. They should have much more than that.
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But it’s Arsenal who have Eze, and he’s shown exactly why. This could still lead to the title itself.
It seemed like an important weekend, especially with Manchester City loses points and a trip from Arsenal to second-placed Chelsea.
It was undeniably Eze’s day, as it goes down in history.
