Eze hat-trick moves Arsenal six points clear at the top after Spurs demolition
THREE AND EZE: Arsenal's Eberechi Eze celebrares with his hat-trick ball. Pic: Adam Davy/PA Wire.
A brilliant hat-trick by Eberechi Eze earned Arsenal more bragging rights over Tottenham and sent them six points clear at the top of the Premier League with a 4-1 victory.
Defeats for title rivals Liverpool and Manchester City on Saturday had opened the door for Mikel Arteta's leaders to increase their advantage at the summit.
And even with numerous key players out injured, Arsenal proved far too strong for Thomas Frank's Spurs and inflicted a painful defeat on their north London rivals in a display inspired by a player that could have turned out for the visitors at Emirates Stadium.
Eze had been all set to sign for Tottenham from Crystal Palace in August until the Gunners hijacked the transfer at the last minute.
After a slow start at his new club, Eze produced a memorable derby-day treble, firing home in the 41st-minute after Leandro Trossard's opener five minutes earlier before two second-half strikes ensured he went home with the match ball on a day to savour for Arsenal.
The injury list of both clubs had dominated the build-up and the Gunners remained without £55million forward Viktor Gyokeres, but Spurs boss Frank still went with a three-at-the-back system.
Eze almost created an early breakthrough but Declan Rice's volley from his scooped pass was blocked by Guglielmo Vicario.
Spurs were happy to concede possession to Arsenal, but clear-cut chances were limited during the opening 30 minutes.
Bukayo Saka sent a free-kick over and went closer with another effort from a similar position in the 33rd minute which Vicario pushed away.
Frank's decision to be pragmatic had worked but was soon about to collapse like a house of cards.
Arsenal's opener arrived after 36 minutes when Mikel Merino dropped deep and spotted the perfectly timed run of Trossard, who fired beyond Vicario after a deflection off Micky van de Ven.
Destiny Udogie had been guilty of a lapse in concentration and played Trossard onside, but things went from bad to worse four minutes before half-time.
Kevin Danso headed clear Jurrien Timber's cross but Rice played a first-time pass into the unmarked Eze, who dribbled between Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha before he rifled into the bottom corner.
The decibel levels inside Emirates Stadium went through the roof and despite a quick VAR check for offside, Trossard was not deemed to be in the eyeline of Vicario.
Spurs avoided further damage before half-time, but the second period was only 35 seconds old when Eze made it 3-0.
Yet again Eze was not picked up and after Timber passed into the England international, he turned and steered into the bottom corner from 16 yards for his second of the game to match his goal tally from his first 17 appearances for Arsenal.
Tottenham were shellshocked but captain Cristian Romero attempted to rally his team with two clearances and a block from Martin Zubimendi in quick succession before the visitors were handed a 55th-minute lifeline.
Palhinha tackled Zubimendi by the halfway line and after Richarlison spotted David Raya off his line, Spurs' number nine executed a wonderful lob from 40 yards to reduce the deficit in stunning fashion.
Frank shuffled his pack with Pape Sarr and Randal Kolo Muani sent on but not long after Vicario pushed out Saka's curler, Arsenal made the points safe.
The excellent Trossard got in behind the Tottenham defence and picked out Eze, who shifted the ball past a sliding Udogie and whipped his 76th-minute effort into the bottom corner to become only the fourth player to score a hat-trick in the north London derby.
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