Eberechi Eze scored his first professional hat-trick, and the first hat-trick in a North London Derby since Alan Sunderland scored three in 1978, as Arsenal illustrated the chasm that exists between the clubs with a dominant performance in today’s North London Derby.
I think I’ve seen over 60 North London Derbies and they are usually bitterly fought affairs but this was a game where Arsenal were overwhelmingly superior from the off and accelerated away once they had taken the lead.
Rumours were rife before the match about who would be returning from the injured list. In the event, we started with a very similar side to the one that had drawn at Sunderland a fortnight ago. Piero Hincapié came in at centre back to replace Gabriel and Madueke and Martinelli were able to take places on the bench.
Before the match in a darkened stadium Arsenal produced a tiff banner illustrating Arsenal players celebrating great moments against Tottenham. At the top was Sol Campbell – a red and white rag to the Tottenham faithful.
Tottenham began with a back five and dropped Xavi Simons, the playmaker they pivoted to when their attempt to sign Eze failed when our number ten chose to follow quality over mediocrity.
In the early stages Arsenal dominated possession as a cautious Tottenham were forced back into a low block. In the North Bank Upper, we commented that it was a tactic that Brentford might employ when they ventured into N5.
Zubimendi and Rice persistently recycled possession to keep the visitors penned into their own box while the Tottenham left flank looked to kick lumps out of Saka.
Chances were limited in the early part of the game but a clever dink over the Spud defence saw Vicario desperately save from Rice with the rebound rolling wide off a Spud defender. Arsenal were dominant but possibly needed a quicker tempo to their passing. However, they took the lead ten minutes from half-time when another delightful dinked pass, this time from Merino, found Trossard stealing in although with his back to goal. His elegant turn took the ball away from the defenders and his flick took a slight deflection and nestled in the corner of the goal. The deadlock was broken!
Arsenal 1 Spurs 0 – Trossard, 36
Arsenal’s tempo quickened as they sensed a wounded opponent and, in the 41st minute, quick fire play by Saka, Timber and Zubimendi saw Eze receive the ball just inside the box. He whipped in a right footed shot that a keeper without chocolate wrists might have saved. VAR took a look at Arsenal players in an offside position in front of Vicario but deemed the Spud keeper not unsighted by them.
Arsenal 2 Spurs 0 – Eze, 41
When the half-time whistle blew shortly afterwards the Spuds had not had a single attempt at goal in the first half.
Half Time: Arsenal 2 Spurs 0
The concourses were full of joyful Gooners singing that ‘Tottenham get battered everywhere they gooooo!’ and as if to confirm the veracity of this, Arsenal scored 23 seconds after the restart when Saka transferred the ball from the right to Eze and he curled a left foot shot inside Vicario’s right hand post.
Arsenal 3 Spurs 0 – Eze, 46
The Spuds looked ripe for a battering but nine minutes later Richarlison won a tussle just inside the Arsenal half, saw Raya way off his line and produced a goal of the season contender with a superb chip.
Arsenal 3 Spurs 1 – Richarlison, 51
The goal was so against the run of play that it seemed an injustice but for a few minutes we had a game on our hands as the Spuds used their wingmen to stretch Arsenal but they created very little real jeopardy.
Saka produced a brilliant left-footed shot which was curling just inside the post only for Vicario to tip it away and the Spud keeper then foiled Eze from a slick Arsenal move down the left.
Eze changed the tenor of the game fourteen minutes from time when he finished slickly with his right foot after sustained Arsenal pressure.
Arsenal 4 Spurs 1 – Eze, 76
Madueke replaced Trossard, Hincapié who had fitted seamlessly into the back four was relieved by Mosquera and Nwaneri and MLS came on for Merino and Calafiori for late cameos.
Final Score: Arsenal 4 Spurs 1
The Spud fans had obviously had a fire drill at their end as they swiftly vacated the premises with over ten minutes to go. This was an overwhelming victory, particularly laudable given the dislocation that interlulls and injuries cause. Eze had a red letter day in his first North London Derby. Arsenal were good all over the pitch, dominant in midfield, potent out wide and far too strong and organised for a poor Tottenham side.
North London is very Red tonight !
This year, Willow is taking part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge, running for one week only from Tuesday 2 December. During this time, every donation you make will be DOUBLED, yes, doubled, thanks to our generous funders who have agreed to match your donation.
That means your gift will have twice the impact on the lives of seriously ill young adults.
Save the date and keep a look out for more details on how you can be part of this wonderful week of giving. Check out the Willow Foundation here.
OOOOO 2B !!!!!!!!
Simply marvellous!
A 4-1 derby win on the day I did a 41 mile bike ride. Simple coincidence, or a sign of the numeralogical gods aligning?
I think it’s Denis’s doing bt8! He was kind as it could’ve been 71 or 81 miles 😂
Thanks TTG, an enjoyable report of a day when there were no nerves at all and we simply
slaughtered some sheep. We’ve battered them a few times down the years but this may have been their most supine shower yet. Eze must be so very happy he made that call to Mikel, I know I am too. Everyone played very well, but Ebs, Leo and Merino were outstanding I thought.
My report last night was slightly restricted by the time I had to write it, in that I only had the one hour train journey back after the match. The estimable Bath took my scribblings and corrected the timings which frankly I estimated but after a great win against our biggest rivals I think people are keen to read a report relatively soon after the match .
There were other issues time did not permit me to deal with. Firstly our great old friend C100 has gone in the fetlock and is currently laid up hence my taking over the report . I’m sure I send the best wishes of the Holic community to him for a full and quick recovery from what I know is a very painful condition.
It was nice to have some returning players last night but also exciting that there are many more to come. We showed one aspect of a big, talented squad yesterday by having great coverage for injuries . Hincapie dominated his opponent Richarlison in the air particularly and even the great Gabriel was not missed and it was nice to see Madueke back. But the other aspect is that we can start to rotate during an intense period of football which comes from now until the turn of the year . Fortunately we are comfortable in the Champions League and may have to rotate extensively for the Carabao Cup but we should be able to shuffle the pack for league games giving almost everyone a rest . Berta did a mighty job in the summer .
The other point was the quite pitiful state of the Spuds . A friend of mine, a regular at the Toilet Bowl , has been bemoaning the fact that not only does he never see them win but that the football is awful since Frank came . That set up yesterday was woefully inadequate, especially the two holding midfielders who were overrun and it was hard to think of a Spud who played remotely well. Eze showed terrific movement but they had no clue how to stop him and their paucity of goal attempts was humiliating for them in a game that means so much to their fans. I never heard them during the game, even when they scored ! Where they go from here I do not know but Frank was massively outcoached yesterday. He was a Levy appointment but Glasner or Iraiola would have been much better . Maybe Slot will be available soon ! The strategic intent at Arsenal is so much more developed and it is a huge opportunity to finally take the title . In writing that I tremble but we all know we are ready and we have a wonderful chance that is the result of backing up a superb coach with intelligent planning and a Director of Football who really knows his stuff. The club is superbly aligned but there is a very long way to go .
Everywhere they go….
Cheers TTG!
And all the best to C100.
Spot on, TTG, in your report and comment @4. Best wishes to C100 for a speedy recovery. The fans in the ground did you proud yesterday.
I must admit to succumbing to Alan Greenspan-like irrational exuberance towards half time and deciding to beat the crowd to the bar for a mid game pint. In doing so I missed both the second and third goals. I will never do this again.
The Tifo was amazing, even if we couldn’t read the gothic scripted words, back to front as we looked from behind. The crowd was well up for it and delivered for the team. The team responded in kind. What an evening.
One more thought. Up until now, I had thought of Eze as a “moments” player. Not an Odegaard, a Brady, players who run games, but rather a player who flits in and out adding delicate touches and doing clever stuff. I think it is quite possible that yesterday might be something of a turning point for him. I’d love to see it happen.
Fingers crossed for that CER @7.
I had a similar view of him, but yesterday was just different, he ran the show.
Cheers TTG both for your speedy report and your fuller comments @ 4 – agree every word. The way we came out of the blocks and dominated the match was unreal for a NLD – I can’t recall such a one sided match in this fixture. Once again the whole team played superbly and what a magical moment for EE10, how great that transfer to us transpired.
The home crowd were also magnificent, oh to have been there. I’m still chuckling at “are you Tottnum in disguise” chant 😂.
Best wishes to C100 for a speedy recovery.
Agree with all your comments @4 TTG, to steal from Oscar I think you’d
have to have a heart of stone not to laugh at the current state of the spuds.
All the best to C100, hope you’re back on the road soon mate.
Cheers TTG. Your speedy report was much appreciated, as were your additional thoughts this morning.
Best wishes to Countryman.
That was such a good day. We’re in great form and the other top teams in the league are looking inconsistent, so we just need to keep putting points on the board. Chelsea is a big game to get a result in. And we’ve got Bayern before then. So it’s all happening, but it’s also important to bask for as long as we can in the humiliation of Spurs and the brilliance of Eze.
Having enjoyed the game in the stadium and then watched the highlights several times I find your report, rapidly scribbled on the rail track miles to Kent to be bang on the money, TTG.
Superb performance against the self-proclaimed ‘champions of europe’ (aka 16th vs 17th cup winners) who were quite amusingly hopeless on the day and completely bereft of anything resembling talent, spirit or tactical nouse. An unhappy squad with a very limited manager and a Game of Thrones thug as a striker.
Times are good. North London is Red.
First of all my thanks to TTG for offering to take my place on the rota. The act of a true friend. You produced a great report on the rattler. I have a pinched femoral nerve in my back and cannot walk or even sit comfortably. I was able to offer my ticket to another good friend, BtM, who I hope enjoyed the game.
What a night! My son got home absolutely buzzing. He loves Eze and had been calling for his signing for years. A dream come true for our Ebi.
I think I might watch the whole game back …..
Lovely piece from Barney Ronay
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/nov/23/arsenals-eberechi-eze-finds-own-plane-just-above-ground-level-to-sink-spurs?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Excellent work, TTG. I thought your original report showed an impressive level of recall, given you must have enjoyed a light libation post-match.
C100: Best wishes. I hope, as OM says, you’re soon back up and on the road again.
One thought on Eze: all three of his goals came from shots taken from areas where, last season, we would have tried to pass rather than taken a shot.
I’m still basking like a basking shark outside a Basking-Robbins shop after yesterday’s glorious demolition of the Marshdwellers.
I haven’t seen such a one-sided NLD since the late 90’s when, like yesterday, the height of their ambition was simply to steal a point and Les Ferdinand barely crossed the halfway line. They’ve certainly got their Tottnumb back. A limited club labouring under decades of massive underachievement, poisoned by longstanding malignant envy and with an inflated sense of their status, full of mediocre players, not one of whom would get on our bench let alone into our first XI. Thomas Frank must now realise that he made a major career error choosing to join that outfit.
The only blemish on yesterday was Richarlison’s goal. The shot was well taken (though not a patch on Kenny McLean’s on Wednesday) but Tottnumb simply did not deserve to score in that game. It really should have been at least 6-0. Vicario made 3-4 superb saves to keep the score from being a total humiliation.
On to Bayern on Wednesday. No pressure, chaps.
Firstly – sorry to hear you’re struggling C100. Best wishes for a speedy recovery. If I can help just let me know. You know where to find me !
Thanks TTG for a quick and fine report – if a touch gentle on the neighbours !
We just didn’t let them have the ball for 20 minutes. That destroyed any momentum they might have been able to build up – and they looked too scared to come out and challenge for the ball.
Once we started to open up and attack them it was all over. Watching our players stroll into space all along the edge of the penalty area was brilliant – and very funny.
No nerves at all before yesterday. Even with our remaining fitness issues we are simply in a different class.
And as for Richarlison – he has always had ability but has always, right back to his Watford days, chosen to sacrifice it in preference for acting the complete and utter twat.
https://gunnerstown.com/arsenal/2025/11/24/blooming-fruits-positives-needs-hopes-ars-4-1-tot/
What a wonderful weekend! In addition to pummeling that lot, Shitty and Poo lose, and Manure lose to 10-man Everton. May these types of weekends continue!
The GHF Predictathon leaderboard for Matchweek 12 has been posted. Two spectacular escapes from the relegation zone and churn in mid-table. You know where to find it…
Thanks C100 and SP for the links @14 and 18
Good thoughts from both.
And thanks as always to Ned for the latest update.
@20 Top Four’s a trophy. All of your diligence on the Predictathon very much appreciated, Ned. (Good to see the Aristocrat taking a pummelling too. Chuckle. He anticipated walking on water but so far has only succeeded in getting his feet wet up to his groin).
As the blistering destruction of Tottnumb recedes in the rearview mirror, thoughts turn to two big games on the horizon. In my opinion the Chav game is the much more important one in which to play our strongest team to ensure a win. For the Bayern game I don’t expect Arteta to change the team that beat the Marshdwellers massively but, given the frequency of big games in the next few weeks, I expect him to rest any players carrying knocks and also to rest those entering the red zone in terms of recent exertion. Although we do owe Bayern a doing, that match doesn’t carry the ‘must win’ label as clearly as does our visit to the Bus Stop. Arteta will certainly put out a team that he thinks can win the tie but I expect him to change both full backs, rest Timber and, if necessary, possibly also Hincapié who appeared to limp off clutching a hamstring when he was subbed on Sunday. I don’t think either Ødegaard, Gjökeres or Madueke will start but we may see them come on in the last quarter of the game.
Yeah, I think most would take the win against the Chavs if we could only have one. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Martinelli start as I think I would rest Leo.
The way he has been playing I think he must start at the Bus Stop.
A reminder of the last hat trick we got in the NLD
https://x.com/simonlester24/status/1992993009978286434?s=61&t=cVFjCyGkt4y-Ne45LtfqkQ
>>>>>>>