Eze Hattrick as Arsenal Thump Spurs to Go Six points clear at the top –

Eberechi Eze scored the first north London derby hat-trick of the Premier League era as Arsenal beat Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 on Sunday to extend their lead at the top of the table to six points after a weekend of setbacks for their title rivals.

An impressive performance at the Emirates Stadium saw Mikel Arteta’s side take advantage of defeats to Manchester City and Liverpool to cement their status as title favourites. Despite missing key starters – including captain Martin Ødegaard and defenders Gabriel Magalhães – Arsenal recorded a striking win against a Tottenham side who were unbeaten away from home earlier this season.

Eze, a boyhood Arsenal fan who joined the club from Crystal Palace on a £67 million summer deal, gave a masterclass in finishing. His treble was the first hat-trick in this competition since 1978, and the first ever in the Premier League era.

The victory was emphatic. Arsenal registered 17 shots to Tottenham’s three, limiting the visitors to an expected goals (xG) of just 0.07. Tottenham’s only consolation came via a long-range chip from Richarlison, but the result was never in question.

“It’s a special day for me and my family,” Eze said BBC Match of the Day. “I don’t think I could have ever dreamed of it. We were prepared for whatever formation they would come up with… We are in danger of scoring goals from any angle.”

The result puts Arsenal in a leading position after twelve games. They are now six points ahead of second-placed Chelsea.

The weekend proved disastrous for Arsenal’s traditional rivals. Defending champions Liverpool suffered their sixth defeat in seven games, leaving them 11 points behind. Meanwhile, Manchester City’s loss to Newcastle United leaves the Gunners seven points behind.

The statistical history favors Arsenal; No team in the history of the Premier League has failed to win the title by six points or more at this stage of the season. However, the Gunners will be wary of complacency having surrendered leads in previous campaigns.

Perhaps most encouraging for Arteta was the performance of his team players. With Gabriel, Kai Havertz and summer signing Viktor Gyökeres all sidelined, the squad’s depth was tested.

Piero Hincapié, on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, replaced the defense impressively. The Ecuadorian international, who Arsenal have a £52m option to buy, replaced Gabriel seamlessly, keeping the defensive solidity that has characterized Arsenal’s season intact.

For Tottenham manager Thomas Frank, the afternoon was a humbling experience. Before the match, Frank had jokingly asked, “Who?” when asked about Spurs’ reported interest in Eze during the summer transfer window.

Conversely, Mikel Arteta was effusive in his praise for his number 10, highlighting Eze’s work ethic since returning from international duty with England.

“He wanted to come back [early] and improve and ask questions,” Arteta said. ‘When I spoke [England manager] Thomas Tuchel about Eze, I asked ‘how good is he?’ He told me ‘one of the best I’ve seen’. “If we add his work rate and willingness to play for this team, we have a special player.”

Eze has now been involved in 18 goals (10 goals, 8 assists) in 2025, a number surpassed only by Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah, Bryan Mbeumo and Antoine Semenyo.

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