BBC

Before Sunday's north London derby, if we'd asked you to name Arsenal's biggest stars, you might've said Saka, Rice, or Gyökeres.

But after the weekend, there's one name absolutely everyone is talking about: Eberechi Eze.

In his very first season as a Gunner, Eze lit up the derby with a sensational hat-trick against Arsenal's fiercest rivals, Tottenham Hotspur - the kind of performance that instantly turns a player into a club legend.

What makes it worse for Spurs fans is that Eze very nearly signed for Tottenham, before moving to Arsenal in the summer transfer window.

Eberechi Oluchi Eze was born in June 1998 in Greenwich, London, to Nigerian parents.

His football career actually started with Arsenal, the club he has supported since he was a young boy.

He joined the club's youth academy, but was released when he was just 13.

That was a tough moment for him - he has said it was one of the hardest things he ever went through.

"That was the worst one. I remember crying in my room for a solid week, my mum telling me that it's going to be OK but not being able to get over it," he said in an interview with the Independent newspaper in the summer.

After leaving Arsenal, he had short spells in the youth systems of Fulham and Reading, before moving to Millwall where he was released again at the age of 18.

It was at this point that Eze considered a future away from football as he prepared to start a part-time job at Tesco and planned to start college courses.

But then came an opportunity at Queens Park Rangers (QPR).

"I honestly have no idea what I would have done," he added. "I didn't like anything at school. Even P.E. was a drag. When my agent told me I had a trial at QPR I just thought: 'I have to get in'. There was no other option."

Eze began making a name for himself at QPR, becoming a key player in the Championship. Known for his dribbling, flair and creativity.

His performances for QPR caught the eye of Crystal Palace, and in 2020 he completed a move to Palace for around £17 million.

Over the next few seasons, he really flourished at Selhurst Park.

He went on to make his England debut in 2023 and scored his first goal earlier this year, in a 3–0 World Cup qualifying win over Latvia at Wembley.

One of his biggest moments came in the 2025 FA Cup final, when he scored the only goal to win the cup for Crystal Palace - their first-ever major trophy.

He also helped the team win the Community Shield soon after.

Ex-Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy reflected on his former team's display at Arsenal:

"That was as dominant an Arsenal performance against Tottenham as I've seen for a long time. There was a massive gulf between the two teams.

"The Tottenham system with five at the back - be it a 3-4-3 or 5-4-1- can cause the other team problems if, when got the ball, they are brave enough to push wing-backs up a bit higher and get up the pitch to support the front three.

"But Arsenal's quality and physicality just pinned Spurs back. And of course after the second goal, which they felt a little bit harshly done by because of the men in front of the keeper, Spurs were then in a real predicament.

"If they came out and really went after Arsenal, they would have got cut to pieces but also 2-0 was a mountain to climb because the Gunners do not concede many.

"But they will be hugely disappointed - they didn't really lay a glove on Arsenal. Afer the first 20 minutes, they could have been braver, because they had given themselves a platform to do that.

"It is a huge disappointment for Tottenham to lose any north London derby but to lose it in the manner they did was very poor.

"They got completely overrun in the end really - outplayed and out-worked and didn't really hurt Arsenal enough.

"There was already a little bit of discontent at their home games. Now, because of that performance, that's going to grow. The players are going to have to stand up and be counted and Frank is going to learn a lot about his players in the next couple of weeks.

"He is going to learn who is up for it, who has got some courage and who wants to get on the ball and make things happen."

We asked for your views on Sunday's Premier League game between Arsenal and Tottenham.

Here are some of your comments:

Arsenal fans

Tim: Dominant performance. Controlled the midfield with Declan Rice outstanding. Eberechi Eze's finishes were deadly and 4-1 flattered Spurs. I have been watching Arsenal for 45 years and this is by far the strongest squad I have witnessed. One game at a time...

Vince: Could the stars be any more aligned? From the moment Arsenal hijacked Tottenham's move for Eze, to this weekend where he scored a hat-trick against them while both Liverpool and Manchester City lost, Arsenal have largely been in the ascendency. I'd be half preparing a victory party if this was game number 32 and not number 12!

Lew: Apart from Martin Zubimendi holding onto the ball a bit too long for Spurs to nick it and score, it was a perfect performance. It is a busy winter period with the games coming quick and fast but having depth in our team and our injured players returning, this will hopefully be the season we go all the way.

Chris: An excellent team performance with a starring role for Eze. However, I am always nervous when David Raya advances so far out of his goal. It might be necessary when we are not winning but not when we are. The Spurs goal was partly Raya's fault. He needs to know that we do not need to take risks when we are well ahead. Here, the mistake energised Spurs though they were all huff and puff and failed to trouble us. When you have an opponent on the ropes keep them there and don't take unnecessary risks.

Tottenham fans

Chris: Thomas Frank's plan went wrong. We played long and failed to win the first duels and seldom picked up any second. The pressure did not stop. We played two defensive midfielders who failed to control the space outside the penalty box. It would appear whoever we play up front, the players are distant from each other in mind and body. The game was lost by the 46th minute. It will be a hard watch if we do not find some cohesion, quality and fight.

William: Our performance was one that would not have looked out of place in the Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte regimes - only that Frank does not have Kane and Son to rely on for the counter-attack. There is very little cohesion between the defence and attack, while we seldom looked like scoring, besides Richarlison's moment of magic.

Barrie: We should not be surprised because the squad is not too different from the one we had last season under Ange Postecoglou. Its the old adage of 'if you keep things the same, you should expect the same outcome'. We don't have enough players of high quality to compete consistently with the top sides".

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario apologised to fans following Sunday's hapless performance against Arsenal in the north London derby.

Spurs were beaten 4-1 at Emirates Stadium - their joint-heaviest Premier League defeat by the Gunners - with Eberechi Eze scoring a hat-trick against the club he almost joined in the summer.

Richarlison replied with a sensational 40-yard effort, but that was scant consolation for the visitors, whose expected-goals (xG) rating of 0.07 was the lowest in the top flight this season.

"It's extremely painful - I won't walk away from that," Frank, whose side have now lost three of their last five league games, told Sky Sports. "We can only apologise to the fans for that performance.

"It was a bad performance. I've seen a lot of character and fight in this team, but we didn't win enough duels."

Frank switched to a back three against the leaders, but the move failed to pay off as Arsenal cut through Spurs time and time again in the first half and deservedly led 2-0 at the break thanks to goals from Leandro Trossard and Eze.

The Dane changed the system at the break, but former Crystal Palace man Eze scored the third 35 seconds into the second half before completing the scoring 14 minutes from time.

"I will always take responsibility for my choice," Frank continued. "My view on it is that no matter what formation we played, we didn't have enough duels or intensity in the decisive moments, [which makes it] very difficult to win a football match."

Vicario echoed his manager's sentiments as he told Sky Sports: "We have to apologise to the people that support us every day. They expected us to fight and today we didn't fight. That's not negotiable at this level.

"We were too passive. The gameplan we prepared was different. The emotions are high, but we need cool heads."

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to BBC Match of the Day: "It's a very special day for us. We knew the importance of the match and what it means to our fans. To be able to give them that joy, it's a beautiful day."

On Eberechi Eze becoming only the fourth ever player to score a hat-tick in the North London derby: "That tells you about the difficulty and what he's done today. To be fair he could have scored four or five. He's a big player who can create magic moments which unbalance a team.

"We dominated every part of the game. We created massive chances and had a lot of actions that we were very close to scoring. We stayed patient.

"Whoever we put in there they do the jobs for us. This squad has the belief and quality to deliver consistently.

"We have really good momentum but you can see how difficult every game in the Premier League is. It's a long run, let's go game by game. Let's enjoy tonight, then we have Bayern here and Chelsea away. We have a tough week."

Midfielder Eberechi Eze to BBC Match of the Day: "That is crazy. Special day, man. Special day for me, my family.

"I don't think I could've ever dreamt of it. This is more special than that. I can only thank God. Special day, man.

"We were prepared for whatever set-up they were coming with because of the diligence of our staff. Huge credit to them. And of course, the players in our team, the ability, the talent, from whatever angle we're threatening to score goals.

"Good performance, good three points and a special day.

"I probably should've scored four, to be honest. I'm always trying to score, always trying to take my chances. It's important to be relentless.

"We're focused on ourselves, we're focused on putting in our work every day. It's not by chance that we perform like this."

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "Very difficult afternoon. Bad performance. It's extremely painful to stand here after that game. We can only apologise to the fans for not performing better. I was very confident we could be competitive today. We weren't. That we need to look at with a cool and calm head and work out what we need to change.

"We didn't succeed to be aggressive enough, and we didn't win the duels.

"One thing for sure is that in hindsight, everything is much easier. I take always the full responsibility for the performances. That I need to look back to. We changed things at half-time, it was a tiny bit better, but the game was already over at 3-0. It doesn't matter what system we play if we don't win our duals.

"No matter how painful it is, and of course, this is the most painful defeat of the season, there are things we can take out of this game."

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario to Sky Sports: "A very bad night for us. First of all, we have to apologise to the people that support us every day. They expected us to fight, and today we didn't fight. That's not negotiable to do in football in this level.

"It's a tough night, a very bad defeat, but we have to stick together. We have a big night on Wednesday but we need to stick together. Tonight we didn't show the things we are normally capable of.

"The emotions are high, but we need cool heads and apologise to the people that support us and have travelled today.

"I think we waited too much to get into the game. We were too passive. The game plan we prepared was different. Today we didn't fight. We have to apologise first of all for this. But we have to stick together and move on because on Wednesday we have a big night."

On Arsenal's second goal: "I think the way the game went it wouldn't have changed anything. There were three people in front of me so of course they impacted me. But we didn't lose the game for that."

It has been a mixed start for Thomas Frank at Tottenham whose conservative style of play since taking over means he has a fight on his hands to win over fans - and this result will have damaged that relationship further.

His team came into this game unbeaten from home in the league, but never looked like getting a positive result against their rivals.

Tottenham have not clicked in attack this season and average fewer than 10 shots per match, the third-lowest figure in the top flight.

That trend continued into this match with Spurs not having a shot in the first half, the second time that has happened this season (after their 1-0 home loss to Bournemouth in August).

Frank appeared to accept he had got his initial tactical plan wrong by making a half-time change to his team's shape - but Eberechi Eze's goal seconds after the restart effectively sealed Spurs' fate.

Tottenham are ninth in the league, but they are only three points below the Champions League places.

However, the Spurs manager is going to have to turn things around quickly before supporters decide they no longer want to watch his team put defensive solidity before creativity.

Arsenal beat Tottenham 4-1 to move six points clear at the top of the Premier League.

How did the players perform?

David Raya: 5.5/10

A virtual spectator until Richarlison produced one of the goals of the season.

Jurrien Timber: 7.5

Shook off a midweek injury scare to add to his growing repertoire of excellent performances.

William Saliba: 7

Did not miss his central defensive partner Gabriel a jot. Cruised through the game.

Piero Hincapie: 7

Excellent on his first Premier League start. Will be key for Arsenal in injured Gabriel's absence.

Ricardo Calafiori: 7

Some doubt over his inclusion but manager Mikel Arteta will be happy his left-back was available.

Martin Zubimendi: 8

His reputation grows with every game. Knits it all together for Arsenal.

Declan Rice: 8

Built for occasions like these. Energy in abundance, with the temperament to boot.

Bukayo Saka: 7

The captain petrified Tottenham's left-hand side with his pace and power. A constant threat.

Eberechi Eze: 9.5

The stuff dreams are made of. A magical hat-trick in his first north London derby.

Mikel Merino: 7.5

Unlocked Tottenham with an excellent pass to set up Trossard's opener. Tireless work.

Leandro Trossard: 8

Continues to be Arsenal's Mr Reliable. Deserved his goal. Proving to be an important player for Arteta.

Noni Madueke (Trossard 78): 6

Ethan Nwaneri (Merino 88), Cristhian Mosquera (Hincapie 88), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Calafiori 90)