North London is Red: Gunners Thrash Spurs in Emirates Stadium Clash
Image Credits: Darren Berman
The Emirates came alive with colour, defiance and anticipation as Arsenal swept Tottenham aside with a 4-1 victory in the latest North London Derby.
Supporters weren’t merely spectators - they were protagonists. The North Bank unveiled a bold tifo under the rallying cry "These streets are our own.”, featuring legends past and present. It was a statement of ownership that set the tone for what followed.
Eberechi Eze, who spurned Tottenham in the summer to join Arsenal in a £67.5 million move, became the night’s hero. His hat-trick - only the fourth in derby history - etched his name alongside Ted Drake, Terry Dyson, and Alan Sunderland.
“Special day, man. Special day for me, my family,” he reflected afterwards, feeling thankful to God for this special result. The Emirates crowd responded in kind, their noise carrying Arsenal through a performance that was both ruthless and relentless.
The timing of the victory could not have been sweeter. With Manchester City and Liverpool both losing, Arsenal went six points clear - their biggest lead at this stage since 2004. After three consecutive second-place finishes in the League, Arteta’s side now looks primed for a serious title challenge.
Arsenal dominated from the outset. Declan Rice nearly scored inside three minutes, Bukayo Saka forced saves from a distance, and Spurs failed to register a single shot in the first half - an unfortunate statistic that underlines their lacklustre performance. The breakthrough came in the 36th minute when Mikel Merino’s sublime pass released Leandro Trossard, who finished clinically. Five minutes later, Eze doubled the lead strikingly from inside the box - making that his second Premier League goal for Arsenal.
Just 35 seconds into the second half, Eze slotted home his second goal, this time into the bottom left corner. His reaction said it all: hand covering his mouth, smiling in disbelief - capturing both his own surprise and the Emirates’ delight.
Richarlison briefly lifted Spurs with a stunning 40-yard strike - their first shot of the game - but Eze completed his hat-trick with another composed finish at 76’, sealing his place in derby history. Arsenal’s control turned the derby into a straightforward 4-1 thrashing, with a late save from Vicario denying Eze a fourth.
The rivalry extended off the field. Spurs boss Thomas Frank had joked in his pre-match press conference, “Who’s Eze?”, a remark that backfired ironically. Post-match, he apologised for his side’s display.
Meanwhile, Richarlison became the centre of Arsenal players’ social media jokes. Gabriel Magalhães and Saliba shared mocking posts on Instagram. Magalhães tagged the fellow Brazilian, wearing Eze’s shirt and holding the player of the match award - a retaliation to Richarlison’s summer taunt after Spurs’ friendly win in Hong Kong.
For Arsenal, this was more than three points. It was a heavy statement of intent: even at “seven out of ten” performance, they beat their fiercest rivals despite missing key players. For Spurs, placing ninth after 12 games raises questions about resilience and tactical direction.
Once again, the derby proved its enduring truth: in moments of passion and pride, North London is Red and it belongs to the Gunners.