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<p>Arsenal triumphed 4-1 over Tottenham Hotspur</p>
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title="Eberechi Eze celebrates his hat-trick as Arsenal dominates Tottenham in the north London derby">
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<p><span>©IMAGO</span></p>
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<p>Eberechi Eze could have been lining up for Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby had they succeeded in signing him last summer. However, a pivotal decision by Mikel Arteta to approve a €69.3 million transfer at a board meeting shifted the course of events, leading Eze to choose Arsenal over Spurs. In his first match against them donning the red shirt, Eze made a statement with a stunning hat-trick in Arsenal's convincing 4-1 Premier League victory on Sunday afternoon.</p>
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<p>The warning signs appeared early when Eze, in just the third minute, delicately chipped the ball over the Spurs defense for Declan Rice, whose shot was skillfully saved by Guglielmo Vicario. Arsenal continued to pile on the pressure, with Bukayo Saka’s whipped free-kick testing Vicario’s reflexes, as the Gunners dominated possession and effectively camped in Tottenham’s half. So, it was no surprise when they took the lead in the 34th minute. Mikel Merino delivered a clever lob that split the Spurs backline, allowing Leandro Trossard to evade the offside trap. Turning elegantly, the Belgian found the corner of the net to give Arsenal a well-deserved lead.</p>
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<p>Despite presenting a front three valued at a combined €100 million, Spurs went into halftime without a single shot on target, leaving Thomas Frank visibly frustrated on the sidelines. His team’s defensive 3-4-2-1 setup contributed to their inability to break free, exemplified by the staggering combined value of €340 million on the bench compared to the €397 million starting XI. It raised questions about why players like Randal Kolo Muani, Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall, and Pedro Porro were left out of the starting lineup.</p>
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<p>Arsenal, continuing their relentless pursuit, were rewarded when Rice set up Eze, who danced past multiple challenges before releasing a powerful shot from 15 yards out that Vicario could not stop. This moment underscored Eze’s decision to join the red side of north London; Spurs appeared disjointed and fatigued, struggling to maintain possession and create plays. They could have desperately used a player with Eze's skills to help transition the ball forward. The player signed to take his supposed spot, Xavi Simons, was left on the bench after a shaky start to his time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and was only brought on at halftime for Kevin Danso as Spurs shifted to a more aggressive formation.</p>
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<p>Within a minute of the formation change, Jurriën Timber had two chances to find Eze at the edge of the box, and the playmaker calmly placed his shot into the bottom corner, marking his second goal of the day and extending Arsenal’s lead to three. Tottenham was left scrambling defensively, with the Gunners finding staggering freedom in their half. To make matters worse, Spurs still had not tested David Raya's goal, which compounded their struggles, especially after their lackluster performance against Chelsea. Richarlison finally broke the silence with a spectacular shot from nearly 45 yards out, catching Raya off guard and giving Tottenham a flicker of hope.</p>
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<p>However, Arsenal, true to form, sealed the victory when Eze found the net for his third goal of the afternoon, extending their lead to six points ahead of Chelsea. More importantly, they secured their 20th home victory against Tottenham since 1993, reclaiming the bragging rights once again—a victory that is especially sweet for Arsenal fans.</p>
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