Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham Hotspur
by Layth Yousif
at Ashburton Grove

EBERECHI EZE scored a hat-trick as rampant Arsenal thrashed sorry Spurs to win the north London derby 4-1 on Sunday.

Mikel Arteta’s outstanding Gunners once again proved north London is red to power six points clear at the top of the Premier League table, after a majestic victory for the ages for the red and white half of the north of the capital.

Eze, signed from under the noses of Tottenham at the end of the summer’s transfer window, became the first Arsenal player to score a treble in this fixture since Alan Sunderland during the 5-0 victory at the old White Hart Lane two days before Christmas 1978 - and only the third Gunner in history after the legendary marksman Ted Drake before the second world war.

Speaking after the match, a delighted Arteta admitted it was “a great day. I enjoyed every minute of it, from the preparation, since the moment that the players came back from international duty.

“I sensed a feeling that they wanted to be together again, that they were ready for a fight, they were ready for a big week, and the preparation was top.”

The magnificent Eze showed a shellshocked Thomas Frank and his outgunned side just what they missed out on when failing to land the effervescent attacker from Selhurst Park. The talented 27-year-old produced three outstanding finishes, following Leo Trossard’s opener in a dominant performance to score his first career hat-trick, in his first north London derby.

Prior to kick-off the atmosphere rose to fever pitch once the club’s Tifo emerged, banishing the embarrassment of the PSG “broken shower curtain” banner debacle, with Sunday’s compelling creation evoking the spirit of Arsenal’s north London titans, with the moniker: “These streets are our own.” As noisy fireworks blazed and crackled amid the smoke, it was a fitting nod to the lyrics in the club’s moving anthem Angel (North London Forever).

After starting so brightly to lay the foundations for a fully deserved victory, Arsenal certainly proved they own north London bragging rights once again with fireworks on the pitch to start the match.

Declan Rice could have put the home side ahead after only 180 seconds following an intelligent through ball from, who else but Eze, that Guglielmo Vicario blocked.

It was a sign of things to come, and a portent for the overly defensive minded visitors from the other end of the Seven Sisters Road, that actually had Spurs keeper Vicario and boss Frank apologising to fans after the match for a lack of fight from the lily-livered Lilywhites.

Whatever your persuasion in this relentlessly frenzied fixture, such a dereliction of duty from toothless Tottenham was simply unforgivable in the white heat of a north London derby, where heart, passion and character are as important as talent and technique.

Arsenal’s dominance eventually paid off when the lively Trossard pounced on Mikel Merino’s perceptive through-ball that saw the Gunners grey-haired Belgium attacker show quick feet and a predatory instinct to work clear space in a crowded box, prior to firing past Vicario to open the scoring on 36 minutes.

As late November’s darkness fell, the baying home crowd sensed that despite fielding five at the back, Frank’s insipid Spurs side would fold after going behind. Which is exactly what happened amid the raucous noise generated in N5, as Eze fired past the increasingly beleaguered Vicario to make it 2-0 five minutes later.

With Arsenal moving 3-0 ahead shortly after the interval with Eze’s second goal, following a sweeping move that saw the former Crystal Palace forward fire past Vicario 60 seconds after the restart, Richarlison pulled a goal back with an impudent long-range effort from just over the halfway line to give the visitors a modicum of hope on 55 minutes.

The impressive strike, while being the longest-range goal in the top-flight so far this term, was almost as noticeable for the way Palhinha impressively robbed Martin Zubimendi to play the ball to the Brazil striker.

However, all hope for Spurs was utterly destroyed on 76 minutes, when the imperious Eze crashed home his third goal to make it 4-1 to the league leaders, as the summer signing became the 23rd Arsenal player to score a treble in the Premier League era – more than any other club - as the stadium erupted in deep, deep joy.

Speaking after the match, Eze, the former Arsenal academy lad who had his heart broken when he was rejected by his boyhood club in his mid-teens, yet who had returned triumphantly to claim his throne as king of north London, said modestly: “I’m grateful. It’s what I prayed for. I prayed for a hat-trick and I got it today, so I am grateful to God.

“That was the prayer today. The hat-trick. God gave it to me and that’s faith, man. All my family is here and that makes it even more special for me.”