North London derby: Eze, Gyokeres fire Arsenal to emphatic 4-1 victory over Spurs

Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres struck twice apiece as Arsenal produced a commanding display to dismantle Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 in a one-sided North London derby, Sport360NG reports.

The result lifts Mikel Arteta’s side five points clear of defending champions Manchester City, who still have a game in hand, and represents a strong response to their 2-2 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier in the week.

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville observed that the victory was precisely the statement Arteta would have been seeking amid scrutiny over recent results.

Arsenal wasted little time asserting their authority. Eze, who scored a hat-trick in the reverse fixture earlier this season, opened the scoring by reacting quickest inside the box to hook home from close range, his first goal since that treble in November.

Despite Arsenal’s early dominance, Spurs found a route back almost immediately after the restart. Just 24 seconds into the second half, Declan Rice was dispossessed in midfield, allowing Randal Kolo Muani to capitalise and drive a powerful finish beyond the goalkeeper to level proceedings.

The visitors’ reprieve was short-lived. Gyokeres restored Arsenal’s advantage with a clinical effort to crown an influential performance, before Eze added his second of the afternoon by converting a rebound to make it 3-1.

Tottenham believed they had equalised at 2-2 when Kolo Muani found the net again, but referee Peter Bankes ruled out the goal for a foul on Gabriel, a decision upheld following a VAR review.

With the contest effectively settled, Gyokeres applied the finishing touch in stoppage time, securing his brace and underlining Arsenal’s superiority.

The travelling support revelled in the outcome, directing chants at their rivals, who remain precariously positioned just four points above the relegation zone.