Eberechi Eze Issues Five-Word Response to Tottenham Question After Arsenal Hat-Trick
Eberechi Eze Shines as Arsenal Thrash Spurs 4–1 in North London Derby Masterclass
Arsenal’s summer signing Eberechi Eze was the undisputed star of the show as Mikel Arteta’s side stormed to a resounding 4–1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the first North London derby of the 2025/26 season. On an afternoon when the Gunners were missing several key figures, it was Eze—the man who came within touching distance of signing for Spurs just a few months ago—who stole the spotlight with a sensational hat-trick, the first of his senior career.
And when asked after the match about how close he came to joining Tottenham, his response was as swift and cheeky as his footwork: a coy grin followed by five perfectly delivered words that sent Arsenal fans into raptures.
Arsenal Dominate Despite Major Absences
Arsenal entered the derby without Gabriel Magalhães, Viktor Gyökeres, and club captain Martin Ødegaard—three pillars of Arteta’s preferred starting XI. Yet the Premier League leaders barely missed a beat. Playing in front of a roaring Emirates Stadium crowd, they dismantled their fiercest rivals with confidence, control, and a renewed attacking spark centred around Eze.
The 27-year-old opened the scoring in the 41st minute, though Spurs players protested vigorously, insisting that the goal should not have stood. But the strike was allowed, and Eze never looked back.
Eze’s Magical Hat-Trick: From Palace to Paradise
Just seconds into the second half, Arsenal pounced again, and once more it was Eze at the heart of the action. The £60 million signing—whose deal also included £7.5 million in add-ons—curled home a clinical effort to double the lead in the 46th minute.
Richarlison briefly hauled Spurs back into the contest with a goal in the 55th minute, offering the faintest glimmer of hope for Thomas Frank’s struggling side. But Eze extinguished that optimism with his third goal in the 76th minute—a composed finish that completed a historic hat-trick and sealed a triumphant day for the red half of north London.
It marked the first time an Arsenal player had scored a hat-trick in a North London derby since Alan Sunderland achieved the feat way back in December 1978.
A Transfer Saga Revisited
Eze’s dazzling performance made his summer transfer story even more dramatic. Just a few months ago, it appeared certain he would be lining up for Tottenham. Palace had accepted Spurs’ offer, personal terms were agreed, and his move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was expected to be finalised within days.
But football can be a theatre of twist endings—and Arsenal rewrote the script. The Gunners swooped in at the eleventh hour, convincing the lifelong Arsenal supporter to choose the red side of north London instead. “Let it all work out,” Eze reportedly told himself during the whirlwind saga, and those words could not ring truer after his derby heroics.
Asked post-match whether he ever thought he might be playing in the white shirt today, Eze smirked and delivered his priceless reply: “Let’s not speak about that.”
Eze Thriving in Ødegaard’s Absence
Since joining the club, Eze has slotted almost seamlessly into Arsenal’s system, especially in the No.10 role usually reserved for Ødegaard. His creativity, dribbling, and ability to drift between lines have added a fresh dynamic to Arteta’s attacking structure.
So far this season, he has recorded six goal contributions—four goals and two assists—in 11 Premier League outings. And with performances like Sunday’s, he is making the captain’s eventual return to the starting XI a more complicated decision than ever.
Club legend Thierry Henry has already suggested that Eze’s form could “seriously challenge” Ødegaard’s automatic starting status, noting the England international’s flexibility to operate both centrally and on the left flank.
Thomas Frank’s Pre-Match Jab Comes Back to Bite
In the build-up to the derby, Thomas Frank attempted to downplay the significance of missing out on Eze by jokingly asking reporters, “Who’s Eze?” Naturally, his comments were met with raised eyebrows—and following the match, they aged like milk left in the sun.
As the final whistle blew and Eze embraced teammates after his hat-trick heroics, Frank cut a frustrated figure on the touchline. By then, he knew all too well exactly who Eze was, and what he had missed out on.
A New North London Star
Arsenal fans have long craved game-changing flair in the No.10 position, and with Eze, they may finally have found it. His blend of elegance, explosiveness, and end product lit up one of the biggest fixtures of the Premier League calendar.
For a player who once looked destined for Tottenham, his derby hat-trick felt like fate—and for the Gunners, it felt like a glimpse of something special brewing in Arteta’s project.