Arsenal Stars Shine as Spurs Pay the Price for Transfer Window Blunders in North London Derby Demolition

Arsenal extended their Premier League lead to six points on Sunday with a commanding 4–1 triumph over Tottenham in the north London derby, headlined by Eberechi Eze's stellar performance.

The player who nearly joined Spurs during the summer transfer window netted only the fourth hat-trick in this historic fixture's lengthy timeline, following Leandro Trossard's opening strike.

The away side continues their winless streak at the Emirates dating back to 2010, and Thomas Frank might have alienated some Tottenham fans with the team's lackluster showing. Richarlison's spectacular long-range effort provided the sole bright spot on an otherwise disappointing afternoon for the visitors.

For Arsenal though: pure joy. They're dominating at the top, delivering a championship-caliber display.

Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Tottenham (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings Provided by Fotmob*

GK: David Raya—6.2: Usually requires something extraordinary to beat Arsenal's shot-stopper, and Richarlison's strike was precisely that.

RB: Jurriën Timber—7.4: Reliable as always on the right flank, with his forward runs creating consistent problems.

CB: William Saliba—6.8: A relatively quiet afternoon for Saliba, who surprisingly couldn't convert from a set-piece opportunity at 3–1.

CB: Piero Hincapié—7.1: Outstanding deputizing for Gabriel. Assertive throughout and solid in individual battles against Richarlison.

LB: Riccardo Calafiori—7,2: His high positioning in the left channel caused Kevin Danso early difficulties, though he made some careless technical mistakes.

DM: Martín Zubimendi—6.1: Perhaps not his sharpest performance, but remained disciplined defensively when tracking opposition runs. Lost possession in the build-up to Spurs' goal.

DM: Declan Rice—8.2: A late yellow card marred an otherwise composed Rice display. His dangerous set-piece delivery wasn't needed today.

AM: Eberechi Eze—9.7: Safe to say Thomas Frank is now well acquainted with Eberechi Eze's abilities.

RW: Bukayo Saka—7.6: Won't grab the spotlight, but Saka was subtly excellent throughout.

ST: Mikel Merino—7.5: The orchestrator proved effective once again in the striker role, generating midfield overloads. Beautiful pass set up the opener.

LW: Leandro Trossard—8.3: Built on his powerful strike against Sunderland with a neat finish to break the deadlock. Has a talent for delivering in this matchup.

Subs not used: Kepa Arrizabalaga (GK), Ben White, Christian Nørgaard, Max Dowman, Gabriel Martinelli.

Tottenham (3-4-2-1)

Starting XI: Guglielmo Vicario; Kevin Danso, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven; Djed Spence, Rodrigo Bentancur, João Palhinha, Destiny Udogie; Mohammed Kudus, Wilson Odobert; Richarlison.

Subs used: Xavi Simons, Pape Matar Sarr, Randal Kolo Muani, Brennan Johnson, Pedro Porro.

Arsenal 4–1 Tottenham—How It Unfolded at the Emirates

The players entered to a vibrant Emirates atmosphere on derby day, with the home side somewhat making amends for their disappointing tifo display against Paris Saint-Germain last season by delivering a much more impressive visual spectacle.

Mikel Arteta made just one alteration from the 2–2 stalemate at Sunderland before the international break, bringing in Piero Hincapié for his maiden Premier League start, covering for the sidelined Gabriel. Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke returned to the squad after injury layoffs.

The home team nearly opened perfectly when Declan Rice connected with Eberechi Eze's delicate chip, but the midfielder's volley was parried clear by Guglielmo Vicario. Spurs then implemented their strategy, with Arsenal finding it difficult to build rhythm against opponents showing little desire to retain possession.

The Gunners dominated the ball and field position but couldn't test Vicario from regular play. The Italian keeper made a sharp save to prevent a Bukayo Saka free-kick from finding the net.

Nevertheless, a smooth move from the hosts unlocked the match. Mikel Merino's exquisite through ball found Leandro Trossard's intelligent run, and the Belgian spun to score with a deflected effort, disrupting Thomas Frank's defensive strategy. Arsenal surged forward immediately after, doubling their advantage through Eze amid wild celebrations in N5.

That's the creative force Tottenham might have secured.

Xavi Simons's half-time substitution indicated a tactical shift from the visitors, but Eze's second strike within the opening minute of the second half crushed Spurs' hopes of replicating their 2010 comeback, their last Premier League victory at this venue.

Arsenal were approaching perfection, but Richarlison's superb long-range strike, which beautifully arced over David Raya, gave the visitors hope. For the first time, Spurs gained momentum, though there was little genuine belief they could mount a remarkable recovery.

The ideal afternoon concluded with Eze's treble, as the England international fired beyond Vicario with a clean right-footed shot from the edge of the box. Arsenal then coasted to the derby's finish, while a depleted away section watched as "olés" echoed around the home stands.

Arsenal vs. Tottenham Half-Time Stats

Arsenal vs. Tottenham Full Time Stats