Arsenal had taken a major step towards clinching this season’s Premier League title on Saturday… and they didn’t even play. Current champions Liverpool, and Manchester City, the side seen as Arsenal’s main challengers, both lost on Saturday, giving the Gunners a massive boost ahead of their match against Tottenham on Sunday.
Chelsea, who are emerging as real contenders, won 2-0 at Burnley, but Mikel Arteta’s side had a three-point lead at the top of the table as they welcomed Spurs to the Emirates. And, as so often this season, Arsenal got the job done, and in some style too.
Hat-Trick Hero Eze Blast Spurs into Submission
History maker.
Ebere Eze, the first player to score a Premier League hat-trick in the north London derby. pic.twitter.com/yOuWVmvYPx
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 23, 2025
Eberechi Eze started his footballing life at Arsenal at youth level, but, after a few seasons at Queens Park Rangers, he really established himself at Crystal Palace. In the summer, it was widely reported he was on the verge of a big-money move to Spurs… but apparently his heart was always inclined towards a move to the Emirates, and Arsenal swooped in to hijack the deal. Eze went some way towards repaying that faith with a match-winning hat-trick here, just the fourth-ever in a north London derby (and the first since Alan Sunderland in Arsenal’s 5-0 victory at Spurs in December 1978).
While Eze will rightly claim most of the headlines, it was the often-underrated Leandro Trossard who opened the scoring for the home side. The Gunners had been well on top for the opening half hour, and their dominance paid dividends in the 36th minute when Trossard latched onto an exquisite ball from Mikel Merino, before swivelling and scoring in the bottom corner, a deflection giving Spurs’ keeper Guglielmo Vicario no chance.
Eze scored his first of the game five minutes later as he wriggeld through challenges at the edge of the box and fired past Vicario, who got a hand to it but couldn’t stop it. Thomas Frank’s men looked beaten by half time, and the Gunners wasted no time after they returned to the pitch, Eze scoring his second within a minute of the restart. His sweetly-struck shot found the corner and sent the home fans into delirium.
Spurs Gain Consolation to Avoid Embarrassment
At 3-0 down, Spurs fans feared a complete capitulation, so the visitors can at least hold onto the fact that they fought back, to an extent. A rare bit of Tottenham hustling in midfield allowed the ball to fall to perpetual underachiever Richarlison. The Brazilian struck a powerful shot from 40 yards that was perfectly weighted over the out of position David Raya to make it 3-1. But given Tottenham’s xG for the match was just 0.07, this wonder goal was clearly against the run of play. At least it gave the away fans something to cheer.
Dreams of an unlikely Spurs comeback were extinguished in the 76th minute, however, when Eze completed his hat-trick. His neat control on the edge of the box showed great composure and he placed his shot past the sprawling Vicario. The home side could have extended the lead, but perhaps they were conserving energy ahead of the visit of Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday, which will be the latest test of how good Arteta’s Arsenal can be this season.
Arsenal’s Title to Lose?
STATEMENT MADE. pic.twitter.com/X0LrLDphPR
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 23, 2025
Detractors might suggest that this result was good but that it was “only Spurs”, who, let’s face it, have hardly challenged for the title in recent years. But it should be remembered that Frank’s men had been unbeaten on the road this season, and the Gunners had to do without several first-team regulars, notably Gabriel, Viktor Gyokores, Martin Odegaard, and Kai Havertz. Viewed in that context, it was an exceptional performance and proves the point that squad depth is essential for sides who want to win the Premier League.
We are still less than a third through the Premier League season, and as well as Arsenal have been playing, there is still a long way to go. The frenzy of festive fixtures will be crucial, as could the Gunners’ next EPL match which is away to Chelsea on Sunday. Given the Blues are in second place as things stand, this can be viewed as a title six-pointer, and Arteta would dearly love to get the three points from that and dent Chelsea’s ambitions to become the main challenger for the Premier League crown.
If the Gunners come through that unscathed, they have several relatively friendly fixtures during December in the Premier League: at home to Wolves, Brighton, and Aston Villa, and away to Everton. Any one of those sides could give the Gunners a run for their money on their day, but Arteta’s troops have developed something their title rivals have failed to find this term… consistency.
With just one defeat in all competitions thus far, the Gunners have the wind very much in their sails. Meanwhile, the likes of Man City, Liverpool, and other potential title contenders can’t string enough wins together to worry Arteta (indeed, Liverpool can’t get a single win at the moment!). Chelsea have won their last three in the Premier League, and two of the three before that. But if Arsenal triumph at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, we think the north London side will be unstoppable as they finally claim a Premier League title under Arteta’s excellent management.