Eberechi Eze scored a hat-trick as Arsenal demolished Tottenham 4-1 in the North London derby, but his exceptional performance has created an unexpected challenge for injured captain Martin Odegaard. The England midfielder's dominance in a central role prompted pundits to warn that the Norwegian will face a real fight to reclaim his starting position.
Eze struck twice in quick succession – four minutes before half-time and within the opening minute of the second half – before completing his treble. It marked the first time a Gunner had scored three goals against their North London rivals since 1978. Leandro Trossard opened the scoring in a dominant display that extended Arsenal's Premier League lead to six points.
The victory was Arsenal's third time scoring four or more goals this season, achieved without relying on set-pieces. Manager Mikel Arteta soaked up applause after the final whistle, describing it as «a great day» and praising his players' individual excellence: «I think individually the players were exceptional from minute one. They were super dominant in almost every phase of the play. So, yeah, a day to remember.»
Competition for Odegaard's position
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher told Sky Sports that Odegaard now faces a significant challenge despite his status as captain. «I'm certain Eze played [in the next game] at Newcastle away and you felt like there was a difference,» Carragher said. «It just feels like his signing, which I felt to be fair would just be something that would be to back up Odegaard -- Odegaard is out at the moment - but Odegaard has a real fight.»
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry echoed this assessment. «By the way if I was Martin Odegaard. I said it, this guy is a 10 for me, he's not a winger, he's a 10. He needs to be in the middle of the park he showed it tonight so that's what you want healthy competition that's what you want,» Henry said.
Odegaard has missed Arsenal's last eight matches with a knee problem while Eze has flourished in the traditional No8 role. The midfielder was heavily linked with a move to Spurs during the summer before joining Arsenal.
Faith and family celebration
Eze revealed a deeply personal aspect of his performance to Sky Sports. «I prayed for it. This is what I pray for. I prayed for a hat-trick so I am grateful to God. That was the prayer today. God gave it to me and that is faith, man,» he said. «All my family is here and that makes it even more special for me.»
Dressing room footage released by Arsenal showed a party atmosphere, with injured players including Odegaard and Viktor Gyokeres waiting to congratulate their teammates after the convincing win.
Squad depth ahead of crucial fixtures
Arsenal now faces a congested schedule of 10 games in 35 days before the new year, including Wednesday's match against Bayern Munich and Sunday's trip to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The team is on a 15-match unbeaten run, with their only loss this season coming against Liverpool in August.
Arteta acknowledged both the luxury and challenge of managing his deep squad. «We need players back immediately today,» he said. «We've got Noni back on the pitch, which is great, but we're still missing a lot, a lot of important players, and we're going to need all of them.»
The manager praised Trossard's performance as «one of the best games, so aggressive with and without the ball, so effective. He could have scored another one or two goals, and he was involved in so many positive actions.» Mikel Merino also impressed in an emergency No9 role, creating space that allowed Eze to thrive.
With Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke, Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz and Gyokeres all set to return from injury, Arsenal's attacking options provide strength in numbers that few Premier League rivals can match.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
