Eberechi Eze's Hat-Trick Leads Arsenal To 4-1 Victory Over Tottenham In North London Derby

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In a thrilling North London derby, Eberechi Eze made history by scoring the first Premier League hat-trick in this fixture. Arsenal dominated Tottenham 4-1, extending their lead at the top of the table by six points. Eze, who joined Arsenal from Crystal Palace in August, had previously turned down an offer from Spurs. His performance left his former suitors stunned.

Leandro Trossard opened the scoring for Arsenal in the 36th minute. Mikel Merino set up Trossard with a chipped pass, and after controlling it well, Trossard's shot deflected off Micky van de Ven into the net. Five minutes later, Eze doubled Arsenal's lead with another deflected goal off Van de Ven, having maneuvered past Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur.

Just 35 seconds into the second half, Eze scored again with a left-footed shot to the far corner. Tottenham struggled offensively, not managing a single attempt until Richarlison's long-range effort in the 55th minute found the net. However, Eze sealed his hat-trick with a composed finish from Trossard's cutback 14 minutes before full-time.

Despite Richarlison's goal providing some consolation for Spurs fans, Arsenal remained in control. Eze nearly added a fourth but was denied by Guglielmo Vicario's save. This victory leaves Arsenal six points ahead of Chelsea and seven clear of Manchester City as they prepare for their next match at Stamford Bridge.

Eze’s hat-trick marked only the fourth time such a feat has been achieved in North London derby history. Previous hat-tricks were scored by Ted Drake (1934), Terry Dyson (1961), and Alan Sunderland (1978). Released by Arsenal at age 13, Eze returned to his boyhood club without hesitation when given the chance this August.

This treble was also notable as it was the 400th hat-trick in Premier League history. Eze became the 23rd player to score three goals in one game for Arsenal—a record number of different hat-trick scorers for any team. Tottenham could hardly argue with the outcome as they managed only 0.07 expected goals (xG), marking their lowest xG this season.

The match highlighted Tottenham’s struggles against top teams this season. Their xG against Chelsea earlier this month was also among their worst performances. As Arsenal looks forward to maintaining their lead at Stamford Bridge next week, Spurs will need to regroup and address their shortcomings quickly.