Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to six points after a commanding 4-1 victory over bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners delivered a dominant performance in front of 60,345 fans, with Eberechi Eze producing the best display of his career as he fired in his first-ever senior hat-trick.
The hosts took control early, with Leandro Trossard opening the scoring in the 36th minute after smart play by Mikel Merino.
Moments later, Eze doubled the lead with a composed finish following a clever pass from Declan Rice, giving Arsenal a comfortable advantage heading into halftime. Spurs struggled to find rhythm, missing key creative players including James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.
Arsenal’s intensity continued immediately after the restart. Just seconds into the second half, Eze added his second and Arsenal’s third, meeting a cross from Jurrien Timber to cap a flowing team move.
Tottenham briefly threatened a comeback when Richarlison struck a spectacular long-range effort from 35 yards, but that was as good as it got for Thomas Frank’s side.
With Spurs pushing forward, Arsenal found more space in transition. Eze completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute after linking up brilliantly with Trossard once again, becoming only the fourth player in history to score a hat-trick in a competitive North London derby.
His performance drew huge praise, with players and pundits describing it as the moment his Arsenal career “truly takes off.”
Tempers flared late in the match, with a confrontation sparked by a Declan Rice challenge on Xavi Simons, but Arsenal never looked in danger of losing control.
Mikel Arteta’s side managed the closing stages professionally as Spurs fans began to leave early, reflecting a disappointing afternoon for the visitors, who remain ninth in the table.
The emphatic win sends a powerful message in the title race, especially with rivals Manchester City and Liverpool showing inconsistency after respective losses on Saturday against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest.
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