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The North London derby, played on November 23, 2025 at the Emirates Stadium, culminated in a resounding 4-1 victory for Arsenal over Tottenham Hotspur.
In a match attended by 60,345 fans, Arsenal’s Eberechi Eze delivered a historic performance, scoring a hat trick—the first in this fixture since 1978—which propelled his team to dominance.
Leandro Trossard opened the scoring in the 36th minute with a shot that went wide after a clever run spotted by Mikel Merino. Eze scored his first goal just five minutes later, dribbling past midfielders Rodrigo Bentancur and João Palhinha before firing into the top corner.
Surprisingly, he scored his second goal just 35 seconds into the second half, turning and volleying home a 16-yard cross from Jurrien Timber.
Tottenham pulled one back in the 55th minute thanks to a daring 40-yard lob from Richarlison over David Raya, but Eze completed his hat trick in the 76th minute, beating Destiny Udogie and firing home a powerful cross from Trossard.
Arsenal’s possession and precision overwhelmed Tottenham’s pragmatic three-man defense, with Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka also shining in midfield and on the wings.
Impact on the Premier League standings
This result propelled Arsenal to a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League table, capitalizing on weekend defeats suffered by title rivals Liverpool and Manchester City. Before the match, Arsenal led by just three points, but Eze’s heroic performance and Tottenham’s collapse extended their advantage, positioning Mikel Arteta’s side as strong favorites ahead of a crucial visit to second-placed Chelsea next weekend.
For Tottenham, the defeat leaves them mid-table and without a league win at the Emirates since 2010, intensifying the pressure on their European aspirations.
The victory provided a huge morale boost for Arsenal, who were without key players such as £55 million striker Viktor Gyökeres due to injury, but still dismantled their fiercest rivals.
Eze, who joined Arsenal after a controversial move to avoid a potential transfer from Crystal Palace (a signing Tottenham had targeted), became the derby’s ultimate villain for Spurs fans, rubbing salt in old wounds with his hat-trick.
This performance not only silenced doubts about Arsenal’s attacking depth but also reinforced Arteta’s tactical flexibility, combining patient build-up play with ruthless counter-attacks.
In the long term, it strengthens Arsenal’s title credentials, with the echoes of ‘ole’ at the Emirates in stoppage time indicating growing confidence in a sustained challenge. However, maintaining this form without their injured stars will test the squad’s rotation ahead of a busy holiday period.
Tottenham’s performance was described as “devastating” and one of their worst in recent derbies, exposing the shortcomings of their summer signings and the tactical conservatism of new manager Thomas Frank.
Opting for a solid three-man defense hampered their fluidity, leading to defensive errors—such as leaving Eze unmarked twice early on—and a lack of attacking threat, apart from Richarlison’s stunning goal.
Frank’s micromanaged and “impassive” approach drew heavy criticism, being labeled “cowardly,” in stark contrast to the bold but flawed style of his predecessor, Ange Postecoglou, and potentially eroding fan confidence following the recent defeat to Chelsea.
The loss further compounded Tottenham’s poor record against Arsenal (no league win at the Emirates in 15 years) and could generate internal unrest, with calls for a tactical overhaul to avoid further overcorrections in the post-Postecoglou recovery.
In a positive sense, Richarlison’s goal offered a glimpse of individual brilliance, but overall, this humbling performance exposed vulnerabilities that could derail their aspirations of a top-six finish.
Arsenal’s emphatic victory underscores their evolution into title contention, combining resilience in the face of injury with Eze’s brilliance, which defined the derby and was described as one of the “greatest hat-tricks in club history.”
It was the Gunners’ biggest league win against Spurs, the sixth time they have won by three goals or more in the fixture. For Tottenham, the match highlights the need for balance: to be more daring without being reckless, as Frank’s cautious approach proved disastrously counterproductive.
Ultimately, this derby wasn’t just about the scoreline: it was a psychological thrashing, with Arsenal basking in their glory and Tottenham lamenting what could have been had Eze worn their white shirt. While Arteta sets his sights on the top, Frank must dare to dream big to salvage Spurs’ season.
