Eberechi Eze was simply irresistible this Sunday evening during the North London Derby. Against Tottenham, whom he almost joined last summer, the 27-year-old English attacking midfielder scored a hat-trick to give the Gunners a resounding victory at the Emirates Stadium. From the first period, after Leandro Trossard opened the scoring, Eze went on to shoot Vicario and score his first goal of the match, thus leaving his mark on this very special derby. He quickly doubled the lead after returning from the locker room, before completing his hat-trick in the second half with a collective action initiated by Merino and relayed by Trossard. The former Crystal Palace star even almost scored a fourth goal, but Vicario saved his shot brilliantly.
During the last summer transfer window, Eze was greatly courted by Tottenham, who had reached a verbal agreement with Crystal Palace. But, after Kai Havertz’s injury, Arsenal then paid 70 million euros to secure his arrival, thus offering Eze the opportunity to join his potential club’s historic rival. The attacker did not hide his satisfaction after the meeting at the microphone of Sky Sports : “I had a pleasant day. I’m happy to have helped the team and got the victory. It’s special. This is what I had prayed for. I had prayed for a hat-trick and I achieved it. My whole family is here, which makes this achievement even more special in front of them. My turbulent summer with Tottenham? Let’s not talk about that. »
Tottenham are inevitably biting their fingers
Mikel Arteta, his coach, was full of praise for the player upon his arrival: “he has a unique presence. We’ve already shared a lot of ideas and he absorbs everything very quickly. But above all, it is essential that he feels free and has the platform to express his talent naturally. » This Sunday evening, Eze perfectly illustrated this freedom and confidence, dictating the pace of the game and proving decisive on several occasions. This season, Eze has already accumulated 5 goals in 16 matches in all competitions (including 12 starts) and 2 assists, confirming his rise to power after a remarkable 2024-2025 season at Crystal Palace where he finished with 14 goals and 12 assists. His ability to be decisive in major events only reinforces his status as a key player for Arsenal, but also for the English selection, where Thomas Tuchel particularly appreciates him and should logically include him for the 2026 World Cup.
A few weeks before Eze arrived at Arsenal, Spurs manager Thomas Frank said: “If they don’t want to come to our club, wear this fantastic crest, we don’t want them here. There are several things to take into account, the club is working very hard to see if we can strengthen the team with players who can improve it. » This evening, he must undoubtedly regret not having been able to make this matter a reality. Against Tottenham, Eberechi Eze shone brightly, showing that his transfer to Arsenal was not a simple whim of the transfer window. Author of the first hat-trick in an Arsenal-Tottenham match since 1978, he asserts himself as a player capable of changing the course of a match single-handedly and has already made history in the London derby, his very first. Arsenal can rejoice: their number 10 is there, and he still promises many magical evenings.
