Arsenal thrash Tottenham in a fiery North London Derby
Arsenal thrash Tottenham in one of the most dominant derby performances of the Mikel Arteta era, cruising to a 4-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium in Matchweek 12 of the Premier League.
Leandro Trossard broke the deadlock, before Eberechi Eze stole the show with a brilliant hat-trick (41’, 46’, 76’). Richarlison netted Spurs’ only goal in the 56th minute.
The win sends Arsenal to 29 points, extending their lead at the top—six ahead of Chelsea and seven above champions Manchester City—while Tottenham remain stuck on 18 points in ninth place.
Lineups and Tactical Choices
Arteta kept his structure balanced with a dynamic front trio led by Trossard and Saka, supported by goalscorer Eze.
Arsenal XI: Raya — Timber, Saliba, Hincapié, Calafiori — Rice, Zubimendi — Eze — Trossard, Saka, Merino.
Thomas Frank, meanwhile, went bold with an aggressive pressing system but was undone by individual errors and Arsenal’s fluidity.
Tottenham XI: Vicario — Van de Veen, Danso, Balenia — Oduje, Romero, Kudus, Spence — Odubert, Bentancur, Richarlison.
Gunners seize control
Arsenal began with intensity, and Declan Rice nearly scored early before Vicario produced a strong save.
Trossard suffered a knock but recovered—and minutes later curled in the opener in the 36th minute after a silky turn inside the box.
Just before halftime, Eze doubled the advantage with a superb solo effort, weaving through defenders before firing low into the corner.
Second-half explosion
Tottenham introduced Xavi Simons to spark a comeback, but Arsenal immediately killed the contest. Only seconds after the restart, Eze smashed home his second and Arsenal’s third.
A costly Zubimendi mistake gifted Richarlison a lifeline, the Brazilian lobbing Raya to make it 3-1 in the 56th minute.
But any hopes Spurs had were extinguished in the 76th minute. Trossard found Eze on the edge of the box, and the Englishman fired in confidently to complete a memorable derby hat-trick.
Arsenal slowed the tempo afterwards, managing the game comfortably as Spurs showed signs of surrender.
Match Statistics & Records
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Arsenal thrash Tottenham for the fourth consecutive Premier League win in the derby — a first in history.
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Eze becomes the first Englishman since 1991 to score in his North London Derby league debut for Arsenal.
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Eze’s hat-trick is only the fourth ever by a Gunner in this rivalry (after Drake, Dyson, Sunderland).
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His treble marks the 400th hat-trick in Premier League history.
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Richarlison is now the South American with the most Premier League goals for Spurs (21).
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His strike from 35.3 yards is the longest in the derby since David Bentley’s 2008 wonder-goal.
What’s Next?
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Arsenal will travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea next Sunday in another massive London derby.
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Tottenham will return home to host Fulham, looking to recover after their heavy defeat.
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