Eberechi Eze once again proved Tottenham’s tormentor-in-chief as his brace powered Arsenal to a resounding 4–1 victory in Sunday’s north London derby, reigniting the Premier League leaders’ title charge.
Mikel Arteta’s men halted a damaging two-match winless streak and moved five points clear of second-placed Manchester City, thanks to Eze’s clinical double and two goals from Viktor Gyökeres.
Having turned down a move to Tottenham last summer, Eze has made a habit of punishing his former suitors. The 27-year-old netted a hat-trick in Arsenal’s 4–1 win over Spurs in November and, despite a recent dip in form, Arteta restored him to the starting line-up for the rematch.
The England midfielder rewarded that faith emphatically, scoring his first goals since that November treble to end an 18-game drought.
Eze opened the scoring in the 32nd minute at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, finishing smartly after Bukayo Saka’s cross followed Pape Sarr’s costly turnover. Tottenham responded almost immediately, as Declan Rice was dispossessed near his own box and Randal Kolo Muani surged past William Saliba before firing beyond David Raya.
Arsenal regained control straight after the interval. Jurrien Timber found Gyökeres on the edge of the area and the Swedish striker punished Tottenham’s static defence with a fierce strike past Guglielmo Vicario in the 47th minute.
Eze struck again in the 61st minute to effectively seal the contest. Micky van de Ven’s tackle denied Saka, but Joao Palhinha’s failed clearance fell kindly to Eze, who calmly slotted home from 12 yards.
Gyökeres wrapped up the rout in stoppage time, shrugging off Archie Gray before firing home his second of the afternoon as Tottenham supporters streamed towards the exits.
The result could not have come at a better time for Arsenal. After surrendering leads in draws against Brentford and Wolves, their once-commanding advantage had narrowed, especially following Manchester City’s 2–1 win over Newcastle on Saturday, which cut the gap to two points.
Arteta had challenged his players to embrace the “noise and bullets” of a title race and write their “own destiny.” While Arsenal responded in style, City still control their fate, victory in their remaining 11 matches would secure the crown regardless of Arsenal’s results.
For Tottenham, the outlook remains bleak. The defeat extended their winless league run to nine games in interim boss Igor Tudor’s first match since replacing the sacked Thomas Frank. Spurs sit just four points above the relegation zone, with only two wins from their last 18 league fixtures, raising the spectre of a first drop into the Championship since 1977–78.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are unbeaten in their last eight north London derbies, and on this evidence, remain firmly in the hunt for a first league title since 2004.
AFP
