Phenomenal Eberechi Eze, Arsenal's North Londoner

LONDON, SUNDAY — Arsenal seemed to have defeated Tottenham Hotspur twice in just one match. Having won decisively 4-1, "The Gunners" further deepened the wounds of their neighboring team with a heroic performance from midfielder Eberechi Eze. Eze was close to donning the Tottenham jersey in the summer, but fate brought him to Arsenal.

For the residents of North London, the derby match between Arsenal and Tottenham is the most important football event. This is also felt by Eze, a figure born in the area and raised in the Arsenal academy. Eze has long dreamed of playing in the derby. That dream finally came true at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday (23/11/2025) evening WIB.

The 27-year-old didn't waste the moment he'd been waiting for his entire career. Eze became the hero in the home team's victory, scoring a hat-trick against Tottenham. "It was special. I'm so grateful. I prayed for it, to score a hat-trick. God gave it to me," Eze said.

Eze's contribution was once in doubt. He only scored one goal from nine appearances in the league. Who would have thought that the England national team player would answer the skepticism on the biggest day for Arsenal supporters? Eze even came close to scoring a fourth goal at the end of the match, but was thwarted by goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

Eze has successfully become the fourth player in history to score three goals in the North London derby. "That shows how difficult it was for him. To be honest, he could have scored four or five goals. He is a great player who can create magical moments, making opponents lose their balance," said Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta.

Upon closer examination, all of Eze's goals are nearly identical. The midfielder receives a pass in zone 14, the area directly in front of the penalty box, then takes one or two extra touches before shooting. He demonstrates the qualities of a "number 10" player, both a creator and a goal scorer, which Arsenal has needed all along.

Eze arrived at the right time. Arsenal needed more of a threat in the penalty area during the match. This is because the hosts still had to play without their main striker, Viktor Gyokeres, who is currently injured. Eze's presence between the opponent's defense and midfield became a puzzle that Tottenham could not solve for 90 minutes.

Eze seems to have been destined to become Arsenal's hero in the North London derby. He began his football journey at the Arsenal academy before being released at the age of 13. Since then, he has always dreamed of returning to Arsenal as a professional player. That dream has been kept alive, even while he has become a star at Crystal Palace.

Eze was on the verge of experiencing a story similar to that of Harry Kane, the legendary figure from Tottenham who also came from the Arsenal academy. Tottenham was very close to signing the player. However, suddenly Arsenal overtook at the last turn. "The Gunners" seemed to have already won the derby before the actual duel took place.

Arteta stated that the special performance of his players did not come out of nowhere. Eze prepared for the derby match with heightened motivation. He even reduced the rest time given after returning from international duty with the England national team. Eze played twice for England last week.

"Everything happens for a reason. He has a two-day break, but he immediately trains after just one day off. He wants to train, wants to develop himself, and is willing to do extra training. He asks me many questions. When a player has such talent and desire, great things will happen," explained Arteta.

Arsenal's dominance cannot be separated from the influence of the opposing coach, Thomas Frank. In such a significant match, Frank suddenly changed the team's formation to 3-4-2-1. The coach has often used a similar formation during his time at Brentford, but he has consistently employed a four-defender system since joining Tottenham this season.

Frank wants to play more defensively by positioning five defenders in line when out of possession. However, Tottenham actually lost control in the midfield. They were outmatched in duels for the ball in that vital area. The urgency of playing five defenders is being questioned, especially since Arsenal played without a pure striker.

The inefficiency of the visiting team's strategy was evident in the opening goal scored by Arsenal's winger Leandro Trossard. The trio of central defenders from Tottenham, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, and Kevin Danso, appeared passive as they waited in the penalty area during that goal. None of them anticipated the movement of striker Mikel Merino.

Merino, the "false nine" of Arsenal, often drops back to the midfield to build attacks. He was also the mastermind behind Trossard's goal with a through ball into the penalty area. The problem for Tottenham is that their defenders play too deep, thereby leaving too much space in front of the penalty area.

"I tried playing with a 5-4-1 formation. I take responsibility for that choice. In the end, we changed that system after the first half. Regardless of that, whatever the formation, we did not have enough duels or intensity in the decisive moments. It is very difficult to win under such conditions," said Frank.

Tottenham returned to playing with four defenders after halftime, when they were trailing 0-2. Danso was replaced by midfielder Xavi Simmons. In addition to conceding a goal in the first minute of the second half, the visiting team was able to perform better. They managed to defend and build attacks more effectively with the addition of the midfielder.

The only goal for Tottenham was produced through a mistake by Arsenal midfielder Martin Zubimendi. The striker of "The Lilywhites" capitalized on this with a speculative shot from midfield. A beautiful goal was created because goalkeeper David Raya was too far from the goal and unable to reach the ball.

Tottenham was only able to produce a total of three shots throughout the match, two of which were on target. This number is even lower than the total goals scored by Arsenal. This comparison illustrates a one-sided match. North London belongs to Arsenal. (AP/REUTERS)