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.

The battle for the Premier League title became much more interesting this weekend as Liverpool and Manchester City unexpectedly lost, giving Arsenal a chance to take the lead if they can win against Tottenham on Sunday at their home stadium.

Mikel Arteta knows how important this is, and he has apparently scheduled an important meeting with his coaching staff for 10 am on Sunday, according to someone on X who is considered a reliable source.

The point is clear: they cannot afford to make mistakes.

Both Liverpool and Man City had unexpected losses on Saturday.

With their two main competitors for the title both stumbling, Arsenal now has a great chance to move ahead in the standings, but Arteta is insisting that his players stay completely focused and calm.

Liverpool's problems got worse on Saturday when they lost 3-0 at home to Nottingham Forest, a result that shocked their fans and made the champions seem like they had no solutions.

Goals from Murillo, Nicolò Savona, and Morgan Gibbs-White added to Liverpool’s suffering as Arne Slot’s team lost their sixth league game out of seven.

Their performance was characterised by weak defence and a lack of creativity in attack, problems that have been hurting Liverpool throughout the season.

Also, Manchester City’s attempt to win the title was slowed down when they lost 2-1 to Newcastle United at St. James’ Park.

Harvey Barnes was the star for Newcastle, scoring two goals in an amazing performance that showed how City is becoming more vulnerable when playing away from home.

Pep Guardiola’s team, which had controlled the ball for most of the game, was defeated by Newcastle’s effective counterattacks and constant energy, reminding everyone that even the best teams in the league can be punished if they get too comfortable.

Mikel Arteta does not want any mistakes right now.