Eberechi Eze netted three goals as Arsenal defeated Tottenham Hotspur, a north London rival, to gain a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
Thomas Frank, manager of Spurs, chose a five-man defense in order to keep the score close at Emirates Stadium, however his team was unable to stop the league leaders.
Arsenal’s dominance began with Leandro Trossard scoring in the 36th minute after a fine through ball from Mikel Merino.
Eze more than doubled the hosts’ lead before the break – beating two players on the edge of the box before drilling a strike past Guglielmo Vicario.
Tottenham manager Frank abandoned his initial plan of playing with five at the back and introduced Xavi Simons from the bench at halftime in an attempt to increase his team’s attacking zeal.
Just 23 seconds into the second half, Arsenal increased their lead when Eze scored with a left-footed shot to the bottom corner from the edge of the playing area.
Tottenham were largely on the back foot for most of the match, but Richarlison managed to pull a goal back for the visitors by lofting the ball over the stranded David Raya from approximately 40 yards out.
Eze added gloss to the scoreline by completing his first senior hat-trick with a brilliant finish past Vicario in the 76th minute.
Arsenal’s six-point advantage at the top of the table is their largest at this point in any Premier League season. They aim to secure their first championship since 2004, following three consecutive second-place finishes.
