Eze's Dream Performance Haunts Tottenham
Mikel Arteta hailed Eberechi Eze for bringing an 'aura' to the Arsenal team after the England international's spectacular hat-trick powered the Gunners to a decisive 4-1 victory over bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur. The result sends Arsenal six points clear at the Premier League summit, delivering a significant psychological blow in the title race while deeply wounding their north London neighbours.
From Palace Rejection to Derby Hero
The match carried extra significance for Eze, who had been close to joining Tottenham from Crystal Palace during the summer transfer window before Arsenal secured his signature for £67.5 million. The midfielder, who had previously been rejected by Arsenal as a teenager, made his former suitors pay dearly with a career-defining performance. After Leandro Trossard opened the scoring, Eze took centre stage with a mesmerising display that left the Tottenham defence in tatters.
His first goal came just before half-time, featuring a dazzling dribble followed by a composed finish that put Arsenal 2-0 ahead. The second half began in even more dramatic fashion, with Eze finding the net again just 36 seconds after the restart. Though Richarlison pulled one back with a fine consolation strike for Tottenham, Eze completed his hat-trick to seal a memorable victory.
Arteta's Delight and Frank's Disappointment
"Things happen for a reason," declared a delighted Arteta, whose team had recorded three successive runners-up finishes before Eze's arrival. "When a player has such a talent, and his desire is at that level, then these things happen. He fully deserves it. I'm so happy for him because since the day that he came, he brought something else to the team."
The Arsenal manager revealed Eze's dedication, noting that after international duty, the player had requested extra training sessions and was constantly asking questions about improvement. "It's a joy, it's an aura that this team needed," Arteta added. "Hopefully it will give him a lot of confidence, to him and the team, that at any moment he can win us a game."
For Tottenham manager Thomas Frank, the performance proved deeply disappointing. His side recorded a remarkably low 0.07 expected goals and managed only four touches in Arsenal's penalty area throughout the match. After starting with a five-man defence that was abandoned at half-time, Frank could only apologise to the travelling supporters.
"It was hugely disappointing that we didn't perform better against Arsenal, our biggest rival," Frank admitted. "I can only apologise to the fans for that. We tried to come here and be aggressive and press high and in spells go after them. We were not good enough to get out of the situation."
For Eze, who had scored only twice in his previous 15 appearances since joining Arsenal, the hat-trick represented a deeply personal triumph. "It is special," he said. "Words can't explain this one today. That's what I prayed for: a hat-trick and I got it. I'm grateful to God. God gave it to me, that's faith. All my family is here and that makes it even more special for me."
