Arsenal Icon Stunned as Eberechi Eze Accomplishes What He Never Managed in His Career

Arsenal's iconic former forward Thierry Henry strongly suggested the growing likelihood that the club's present captain Martin Ødegaard might need to take a backseat to Eberechi Eze following the midfielder's remarkable hat-trick performance against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Eze joined an exclusive group as only the fourth player in the 104-year span of the north London derby to achieve a treble in this matchup, marking the first such feat in nearly fifty years. Henry famously maintained an undefeated record across his 11 encounters with Spurs, though he never managed more than a single goal in any individual derby.

Ødegaard was unable to add to his own record in this fixture due to injury, observing from the sidelines as Eze contributed to Arsenal's commanding 4–1 victory over their greatest adversaries at an ecstatic Emirates Stadium.

Following that emphatic success, Henry couldn't resist placing Eze ahead of Arsenal's captain in Mikel Arteta's hierarchy.

"By the way, if I was Martin Ødegaard..." he started during his Sky Sports commentary role before pausing. "I mentioned it, this player [Eze] is a [No.] 10 in my view, regardless of how you see it. He's not a wide player, he's a 10. He belongs in the center of the field and he demonstrated it this evening.

"That's what you desire: beneficial competition."

Sunday's dominant victory was partially due to their lackluster opponents—Tottenham recorded the lowest xG (0.07) of any Premier League side this season—and Arsenal's squad depth.

Despite three surprise returnees, Arteta remained without three injured forwards and his club captain. "We possess an excellent squad," Henry agreed. "I mentioned it pre-match, let's celebrate it. Many people discussed who was absent before the game, let's focus on what the team accomplished today. And if you aim to claim the title, this is the approach needed."

The former striker implied that the absence of a natural striker, with Mikel Merino operating centrally instead of Viktor Gyökeres, may have actually benefited Eze. "We require a [No.] 9, that's what everyone was stating," Henry noted. "And I'd also say that playing without a 9 while scoring four goals in open play allows your [No.] 10 to shine because your 9 drops deep, creating space for the 10 to advance."

Every Player to Score a Hat-Trick in the North London Derby

Statistics courtesy of Opta.

Thomas Frank Knows Who Eze Is Now

"Who is Eze?" Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank playfully questioned the gathered press before Sunday's north London derby.

The Danish manager was being intentionally lighthearted. As he later explained, Eze was a "talented player" but, importantly, not a Tottenham player, making him someone Frank wouldn't discuss.

The former Crystal Palace star had come remarkably close to joining Spurs during the summer transfer window. One account portrayed Tottenham's chase of Eze as a "one-horse race." Four days afterward, he was being introduced to enthusiastic Arsenal supporters at the Emirates Stadium.

There was only one contender in Sunday's capital showdown on the same pitch, with Eze celebrating triumphantly atop a dominant Arsenal performance.

The display proved therapeutic for Eze in multiple ways. The reality that this lifelong Arsenal supporter, an academy product who maintained his loyalty despite being released as a youth, had rejected Spurs for the red side of north London, immediately endeared him to supporters. However, his on-field contributions had done little to strengthen that bond.

Before his treble against Spurs, Eze had found the net just once—the decisive goal against his previous club Crystal Palace—while generating merely three scoring opportunities from open play across 707 minutes of Premier League action.

Within 200 seconds of Sunday's encounter, Eze had delivered an exquisite pass to Declan Rice, who shot directly at Guglielmo Vicario. During a performance that saw him operate with the freedom Ødegaard often declines, Arsenal's developing No. 10 was left contemplating an even more memorable showing.

"I should have netted four honestly," Eze confessed after the final whistle, his broad smile from throughout Sunday's match briefly fading. It would return shortly, but will Ødegaard's position?