{"id":12293,"date":"2025-11-23T22:16:39","date_gmt":"2025-11-23T22:16:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=12293"},"modified":"2025-11-25T17:05:02","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T17:05:02","slug":"eze-does-it-as-tottenham-get-battered-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=12293","title":{"rendered":"Eze Does It – As Tottenham Get Battered Again!\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s North London Derby. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think I\u2019ve 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 Hincapi\u00e9 came in at centre back to replace Gabriel and Madueke and Martinelli were able to take places on the bench.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal 1 Spurs 0 – Trossard, 36 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal 2 Spurs 0 – Eze, 41<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the half-time whistle blew shortly afterwards the Spuds had not had a single attempt at goal in the first half.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Half Time: Arsenal 2 Spurs 0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The concourses were full of joyful Gooners singing that \u2018Tottenham get battered everywhere they gooooo!\u2019 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\u2019s right hand post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal 3 Spurs 0 – Eze, 46 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal 3 Spurs 1 – Richarlison, 51<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal was so<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eze changed the tenor of the game fourteen minutes from time when he finished slickly with his right foot after sustained Arsenal pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal 4 Spurs 1 – Eze, 76<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Madueke replaced Trossard, Hincapi\u00e9 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final Score: Arsenal 4 Spurs 1<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

North London is very Red tonight ! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"This<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This year, Willow is taking part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge<\/strong>, running for one week only <\/strong>from Tuesday 2 December<\/strong>. During this time, every donation you make will be DOUBLED<\/strong>, yes, doubled, thanks to our generous funders who have agreed to match your donation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That means your gift will have twice the impact on the lives of seriously ill young adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Save the date and keep a look out for more details on how you can be part of this wonderful week of giving.<\/strong> Check out the Willow Foundation here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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\u2019s North London Derby.  I think I\u2019ve seen over 60 North London Derbies and they are usually […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12293"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12293"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12293\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12316,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12293\/revisions\/12316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12293"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}