EZE SINKS SPURS WITH HAT-TRICK AS ARSENAL DOMINANCE EXTENDS LEAGUE LEAD NOW
Eberechi Eze's hat-trick powered Arsenal to a dominant 4-1 North London derby win over Tottenham. The victory sends the Gunners six points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
Arsenal's team proved too much for a hesitant Tottenham, with Leandro Trossard and Eze scoring in the first half at the Emirates Stadium.
Eze, who chose Arsenal over Tottenham during the off-season, scored again in the second half.
Richarlison's great long-range goal narrowed the score, but it wasn't enough, as Eze completed his hat trick and pushed Arsenal six points ahead.
This was only the fourth North London derby hat-trick, following Ted Drake, Terry Dyson, and Alan Sunderland.
Arsenal's ten-game winning streak ended with Sunderland's late tie in a 2-2 draw before the break.
But Eze's display since his £60 million ($78 million) transfer from Crystal Palace made up for that as Tottenham took a beating at the Emirates again.
Arsenal hasn't been defeated in the last seven North London derbies. They've only lost once in 33 home games against their rivals.
Arsenal's biggest victory over Tottenham since 2012 was the start to a time that includes a visit from Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday and a trip to second-place Chelsea next weekend.
Arsenal is now 15 games unbeaten in all competitions, meaning they took advantage of Manchester City's 2-1 loss at Newcastle on Saturday.
With City struggling and Liverpool in trouble, Arsenal has a real chance to end its wait for a title since 2004.
Tottenham came with the best away record in the league, but the end of their five-game run on the road has raised questions about manager Thomas Frank's strategy.
The absence of injured Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes was thought to be a weakness for Tottenham to take advantage of.
Yet Tottenham didn't get close enough to the Arsenal box to test this.
Frank told Tottenham to welcome the controlled chaos of a derby.
But the manager hasn't won over Tottenham fans with his conservative style, and his choice to play five defenders backfired so much that his defence was.
Tottenham tried to slow the game down, wasting time on throw-ins and goal kicks.
But Arsenal were better in passing and movement and scored in the 36th minute.
Mikel Merino played as a striker because Viktor Gyokeres was injured, but the Spain midfielder dropped back to assist Trossard's goal.
Merino passed to Trossard, who was kept onside by Kevin Danso.
Trossard turned to make space for a shot that went past Guglielmo Vicario from 10 yards.
If Tottenham had had it their way this summer, Eze would be on their team, but Arsenal made a deal with Palace to sign the star at the last minute.
Frank joked, "Who's Eze?" when questioned this week about the transfer.
Eze had the perfect answer in the 41st minute when he took Declan Rice's pass and scored past Vicario.
Frank sent on Xavi Simons for Danso at half-time, but the Tottenham-signed forward did not.
Eze scored again after halftime, taking advantage of Tottenham's defence with a finish from just inside the box.
Richarlison briefly quieted the Arsenal fans when he lobbed David Raya from 35 yards in the 55th minute.
But that was Tottenham's first shot of the game, and Eze, picked out by Trossard's pass, finished his with a strike from 12 yards in the 76th minute.
ODEGAARD TO UNITED? ARSENAL CAPTAIN REPORTEDLY OPEN TO SHOCK MANCHESTER UNITED SUMMER TRANSFER
Discover why Martin Odegaard is linked to Manchester United and the "broken promises" behind his Arsenal exit.
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is facing calls to leave the club after fresh rumours linked him with a move to Manchester United.
Odegaard has been a key player for Arsenal in recent seasons, but this year, things just haven’t clicked. Injuries have thrown him off course, and even when he’s played, he hasn’t looked like his usual self. Now there’s real competition in the squad too, especially with the arrival of Eberechi Eze, who cost the club over £67 million.
Lately, reports have been swirling that Odegaard isn’t happy at Arsenal. FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich are both said to be interested, and talk of a transfer is only heating up.
Earlier this month, Topskills Sports UK claimed that Odegaard told his agent to start talks with Manchester United. According to them, he feels let down by Arsenal’s board and coaching staff, and sources say there’s been tension between him and Mikel Arteta. The report even said Odegaard is “100% willing to leave the club.” Bayern Munich still wants him badly, but Odegaard’s first choice is to stay in the Premier League. It would take something special to lure him to Germany over United.
Now, pundits Steve Nicol and Frank Leboeuf have weighed in, both saying they think it’s time for Odegaard to move on, especially with Eze coming in and Odegaard’s own form dipping.
“Odegaard might be leaving Arsenal,” Nicol told ESPN. “If you’re Odegaard, the club captain, and just 18 months ago you were the main man, suddenly there are doubts about whether you even start because of Eze. And with the way he’s been playing, someone else could leapfrog him, too. So if you’re Martin Odegaard, do you stick around? I don’t think you do.”
Leboeuf agreed: “I’ve always liked Odegaard’s style; he’s elegant, but he’s not as influential anymore. He helps start the play and move the ball sideways, but Eze brings something different. He’s more direct, more influential, and he’ll help Gyokeres as well. It’s going to be tough for Odegaard, and he’s got a big decision to make at the end of the season.”
ARSENAL RULE LONDON: EZE AND GYöKERES SHINE AS GUNNERS DISMANTLE SPURS AT THE LANE
Arsenal dominate the derby! Discover how Eze and Gyökeres fueled a 4-1 win while Spurs sank further into a relegation battle.
For a little while before today’s North London Derby at home between Tottenham and Arsenal, there was some hope. Igor Tudor stepped in for his first match as interim head coach, Dele Alli showed up as a halftime guest, and you could almost believe Spurs might turn their whole season around and spoil Arsenal’s, all in one afternoon.
But that didn’t happen. Arsenal walked away with the win, thanks to two goals each from Eberechi Eze, who, remember, rejected Spurs to join Arsenal, and Victor Gyokeres, their misfiring Swedish striker. Randal Kolo Muani managed to tie things up in the first half just two minutes after Eze’s opener, and he even put the ball in the net again, only for the ref to rule it out after Gabriel Magalhaes hit the turf a bit too dramatically. Richarlison came off the bench in the second half and nearly scored with a clever flick, but David Raya somehow kept it out. Then, in extra time, Gyokeres slammed in another, and Arsenal left with a 4-1 win.
Honestly, Arsenal controlled the match from the start. They had the ball, the stats – everything. Spurs fans can’t help but feel gutted. The team’s stuck in a real relegation fight now, and they need every single point they can scrape together. Losing to Arsenal always stings, but this one? It hurts even more than usual.
That finality you get from moments like Didier Drogba’s penalty after extra time in the 2012 Champions League Final – it’s almost too much. If you really want to understand the pressure and weight of that moment, you’ve got to dig into all the tangled histories leading up to it.
Back to today: Tudor set Spurs up with his usual back three, but he had to improvise. Joao Palhinha and Radu Dragusin lined up next to Micky van de Ven, since Cristian Romero was suspended and Kevin Danso was out hurt. Honestly, Spurs didn’t look that different from how they played under Thomas Frank for most of this season, but there was a bit more energy, a little more purpose, at least at the start. That edge, the one they’ve been missing for months, showed up for a bit, but it just wasn’t enough.
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