Brilliant Eze Hits Hat-trick As Arsenal Thump Spurs To Extend Lead In Title Race

It was an unguarded remark from an Arsenal charismatic and it came soon aft Eberechi Eze’s mural extracurricular nan Emirates Stadium had been defaced pinch achromatic overgarment – presumably by a Tottenham fan. It summed up nan snark betwixt nan clubs and Arsenal’s delight astatine pipping their rivals to Eze’s signature from Crystal Palace astatine nan extremity of August. “We motion a top-class guardant for £60m. They propulsion overgarment astatine walls.”

Eze’s mural has since been redone; it now has a caption to reenforce nan storyline astir nan boyhood Arsenal instrumentality coming backmost to his nine aft being released arsenic a youngster. “All roads lead home.” So it did not request a joke from Thomas Frank connected Friday to group up Eze vs Spurs. “Who’s Eze?” nan Spurs head had said; a classical of nan fate-tempting genre.

It felt arsenic though Eze was ever going to person a opportunity successful this derby. It turned retired that he shouted to each area of nan stadium. The attacking midfielder was successful nan temper from nan first whistle and he conjured a rather sensational hat-trick to guarantee that Arsenal made nan astir of Manchester City’s conclusion astatine Newcastle connected Saturday to widen their lead astatine nan apical of nan Premier League to six points. In nan power of nan moment, it seemed arsenic if each roads led to nan title.

Eze’s first followed a Leandro Trossard extremity and it was a infinitesimal to showcase his twinkle-toed brilliance. There did not look to beryllium immoderate abstraction connected nan fringes of nan Spurs area erstwhile he picked up a half clearance but he recovered it, tricking this measurement and that earlier thrashing home. The 2nd and 3rd were similar, Eze accepting passes successful vulnerable areas and picking retired each area pinch easy, never-in-doubt curlers and it added up to an ordeal for Frank and Spurs.

Richarlison scored a wonder-goal for 3-1, flighted location from 45 yards pinch nan Arsenal goalkeeper, David Raya, disconnected his statement but different location was only gloom for Spurs. It was nan first superior setback for Frank connected nan roadworthy successful nan convention but hardly nan only 1 much generally. His move to a backmost 3 astatine nan commencement was an important item and it seemed to bespeak an acceptance of Spurs’s domiciled – that of large underdog. It was a full disaster.

The segment had been lit by a elephantine Arsenal tifo down 1 of nan goals that featured images of various nine legends. The astir salient astatine nan apical of it? Sol Campbell, of course. The ambiance pulsed.

Eberechi Eze scores his 2nd and Arsenal’s 3rd successful nan comfortable triumph against their northbound London neighbours. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters

Frank had João Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur successful beforehand of his defence, which had nan wing-backs heavy erstwhile Arsenal had possession. That was a batch of nan time. It looked for illustration a protect seven. Spurs offered zero successful attacking position earlier nan interval – nary touches wrong nan opposing area – and nan only mobility concerned whether Arsenal could find a measurement through. They could.

It was a slow-burn half, Eze creating thing for Declan Rice astatine nan very commencement and aft that it was for illustration watching a benignant of extended headlock until Trossard collapsed free. Eze’s scooped walk complete nan Spurs backline was a infinitesimal of magic and a motion of what was to come. Rice banged his volley consecutive astatine Guglielmo Vicario, who saved.

Arteta wanted to outpouring a runner successful down and nan scheme came together successful nan 36th infinitesimal soon aft Vicario had done good to claw distant a Bukayo Saka free-kick. Mikel Merino, playing successful nan No 9 role, came short and it was a beautiful through-ball for Trossard, who had darted distant from Kevin Danso. Trossard was allowed to rotation successful a afloat circle earlier he shot, nan shot helped successful by Micky van de Ven’s hopeless challenge. Destiny Udogie had played Trossard onside.

Spurs were hopeless and Van de Ven raged aft Eze made it 2-0, gesticulating furiously astatine immoderate of his teammates further up nan pitch. He appeared to target Richarlison. Frank’s Plan A, which was small much than to excavation successful for a 0-0, was successful shreds and truthful he switched to 4-3-3 astatine half-time, introducing Xavi Simons for Danso.

Arsenal were further successful beforehand conscionable 38 seconds aft nan restart, Eze’s decorativeness was different beauty and though he tried to put his manus complete his rima to hide nan beaming smile, he did not really succeed. This is what fulfilled dreams look like.

Richarlison’s effort was nan meaning of a bolt from nan blue. It came aft Cristian Romero had made a redeeming header to forestall Eze from sniffing retired different extremity and it was a ceremony of Richarlison’s imagination and technique, wholly astatine likelihood pinch nan wide expanse of nan Spurs performance. Palhinha stretched retired a limb to rob Martín Zubimendi and Richarlison’s lob was image perfect.

There was ne'er nan remotest hint of a comeback. Arsenal simply group astir scoring again. Rice almost made thing hap pinch a whipped set-piece transportation and Eze mightiness person sewage yet different 1 aft his hat-trick, Vicario denying him pinch a smart save. Spurs had suffered enough.