The Sun

ARSENAL secured North London Derby bragging rights over Tottenham and continued their Premier League title charge with a resounding 4-1 win on home soil.

Eberechi Eze stole the show with a hat-trick against the club that tried to sign him in the summer, with Leandro Trossard also getting on the scoresheet and Richarlison netting a stunning consolation.

As the dust settles on a barnstorming 90 minutes at the Emirates, SunSport takes you through three things we learned…

BRILLIANT START TO A BIG WEEK

This was the first game in a crucial eight-day spell for Mikel Arteta so to humiliate Tottenham was not a bad start.

Next, Harry Kane brings his Bayern Munich team to the Emirates fresh from scoring a 24th club goal of the season in Saturday’s 6-2 win over Freiburg.

Yet having won all four of their Champions League games without conceding a goal, Arsenal are certain to finish in the top eight so Arteta must rest any tired legs for Wednesday.

Everything is now about next Sunday and the visit to Chelsea. Win at Stamford Bridge and they may as well hand the title to Arsenal now.

Looking at the Premier League table, with Arsenal in such a stunning position, a point away will not be a bad result.

PERFECT PIERO

Ecuador defender Piero Hincapie was handed his first Premier League start due to Gabriel’s injury and he was extremely impressive.

He has joined from Bayer Leverkusen on a season-long loan and Arsenal have an option to buy him for £45million. On this evidence, he will be sealing a summer move to the Emirates.

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Although centre-back Gabriel could be out for at least six weeks with a thigh injury, at least Arteta can call on both Hincapie and fellow new boy Christhian Mosquera – along with Ben White.

Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli were back on the bench after spells on the sidelines. Skipper Martin Odegaard travelled with the squad to the Emirates and was fit to play but he did not make the bench and is likely to return on Wednesday. Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz are also on their way back.

SOL CAMPBELL BACK AT THE EMIRATES

Arsenal added weight to the argument last season that English clubs are not very good at tifos like their European counterparts.

The club was mocked ahead of the Champions League semi-final against PSG with a giant red flag with a white cannon which was hung from the top of the North Bank.

While that was a bit rubbish there was a better effort on this occasion with Campbell, who left Spurs for Arsenal in 2001, featuring prominently.

The tifo read ‘The Arsenal’ with ‘These streets are our own’ underneath, together with images of Gabriel, Tony Adams, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, David Rocastle, Thierry Henry and Campbell.

Before the game, there was a tribute to Willie Young, who played for both Spurs and Arsenal. The centre-back died last month at the age of 73.

JAMIE CARRAGHER has APOLOGISED to Eberechi Eze following his stunning hat-trick against Tottenham.

The summer signing shone brightest at the Emirates as the Gunners fired themselves six points clear at the top of the Premier League table.

Mikel Arteta‘s side romped to a 4-1 win over their arch-rivals to claim bragging rights in North London.

Leandro Trossard forced home the opener before Eze took centre stage.

The midfielder netted three goals to put the tie beyond Spurs – who he almost joined before signing for Arsenal.

His performance caught the eye of Carragher, who said he was left eating his own words.

The Liverpool legend admitted he had thought Eze’s £67.5million switch to Arsenal would see him become a back-up to Martin Odegaard.

The former Crystal Palace star has slowly battled his way into the team and is taking a starring role.

Carragher has now issued an apology to the North London derby match-winner.

Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: “His signing, which I felt to be fair, would just be as a backup to Odegaard.

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“When Eze came I thought maybe he wasn’t a game-changer.

“Apologies.

“I certainly undervalued the importance of that signing and he looks like he can make the difference for them and they can go on and win the title.”

Eze’s first goal left Spurs fans fuming after it was allowed to stand.

Many believed it should have been checked by VAR as both Martin Zubimendi and Trossard were in Guglielmo Vicario’s eyeline while in offside positions.

However, the Premier League Match Centre X account confirmed why the Eze goal was given.

A statement read: “The referee’s call of goal was checked and confirmed by VAR – with it deemed that there were no Arsenal players in the line of vision of the goalkeeper.

“They made no movement to impact an opponent while in an offside position.”

A joyful Eze said on the pitch to Sky Sports: “That’s a good one man.

“Enjoyable day. Happy to help the team and to win today was a special.

“It is special. Words can’t explain this one today.

“I am grateful. 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. All my family is here and that makes it even more special for me.”

WHEN it comes to local derbies, they like to talk about ‘bragging rights’.

Yet when you demolish your most bitter rivals with a hat-trick from a bloke you have just hijacked from beneath their noses, to soar six points clear at the Premier League summit, it is far more than that.

Eberechi Eze ensured sniggering rights, giggling rights and bloody great belly-laughing rights for the Arsenal with a brilliantly-taken treble against the club he had so nearly joined in August.

When Eze fired his second, just 36 seconds after the break, he stuck his hand across his face and pretended to stifle a chuckle.

Back in late summer, Tottenham had agreed a £67.5million fee to sign this boyhood Gooner from Crystal Palace.

Yet Mikel Arteta snuck in and blindsided Thomas Frank, matching the fee and sweet-talking Eze back to the club who had rejected him as a schoolboy.

Eze had been easing himself in at his new club – decent but unspectacular, with just one Premier League goal before this.

It was almost as if Eze had been waiting until his first North London Derby for the chance to truly detonate – and he did so in extraordinary style with a trio of exceptional finishes from the No 10 role.

Leandro Trossard had fired Arsenal in front before Eze’s double either side of half-time had punished a negative Spurs side set up in a vain attempt to smother their neighbours.

After Richarlison had netted a 40-yard stunner, Eze slammed the door shut by completing the first hat-trick of his professional career.

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Following Manchester City’s defeat at Newcastle the previous evening, the Gunners have restored a six-point lead at the top – and none of their serious rivals are showing anything like the consistency to haul them in.

A first Premier League title since the Invincibles campaign of 22 years ago now looks extremely likely.

Before kick-off, the Gooners had unveiled a vast tifo of current and former players – with a Godzilla-sized Sol Campbell roaring at the top of the montage, just to make sure their neighbours felt fully welcomed.

Spurs had lost five of the previous six North London derbies, not winning one since the departure of Harry Kane – the most prolific scorer in the history of this fixture.

And Arsenal had conceded just once at the Emirates all season, to Erling Haaland two months ago, having kept seven clean sheets here.

Yet Arteta’s defensive rock Gabriel had been injured on international duty, meaning a first Premier League start for Piero Hincapie.

It was Frank’s first taste of the derby and he went in belt and braces – five men strung across the back, with two holding midfielders.

Still, it took less than three minutes for Arsenal to slice Tottenham open – Bukayo Saka roaming in from the right, Eze with a cunning dink for Declan Rice to volley and Guglielmo Vicario to save with his legs.

Hostility was bubbling, Richarlison in wasp-at-a-picnic mode, but Spurs soon settled, smothered and dimmed the atmosphere.

Saka skimmed a free-kick onto the roof of the net and a little later, he cut inside Micky Van de Ven forcing Rodrigo Bentancur to bring him down at the cost of a booking.

This time, Saka curled a free-kick towards the back post but Vicario pushed it away.

Spurs had been employing full-on Pulisball – stout defending, big hoofs into the Arsenal 22, hoping to win a few line-outs for Kevin Danso’s long throws to reach the dancefloor.

It didn’t work for long as Arsenal seized a two-goal lead with little time for blinking.

First Mikel Merino, drifting deep from his role as a makeshift centre-forward, lofted a delightful pass to release Trossard who swivelled and tucked home via a deflection off Van de Ven.

Within five minutes, it was two – and the sweetest of moments for Eze.

Danso’s attempted clearance fell to Rice who fed the former Crystal Palace man.

Eze twisted past two defenders and then drilled low past Vicario as two more Spurs players converged on him in vain.

Before the break, Jurrien Timber and Destiny Udogie rugby-tackled one another to give the impression that there might still be some sort of contest.

It was fake news. Within 36 seconds of the restart – before most Gooners had returned from their half-time pints and pies – it was 3-0.

This time, Saka won possession from a dithering Wilson Odobert, Timber darted in from the right and located Eze, who struck a sweet shot low inside the far post, celebrating with a hand over his chuckling face.

Frank had replaced Danso with Xavi Simons at half-time, at least showing some attacking intent.

And Spurs did make a remarkable response. Joao Palhinha, the Premier League’s last truly great tackler, robbed Martin Zubimendi in the centre circle and Richarlison advanced to lob David Raya with an outrageous effort from more than 40 yards.

How Spursy to score a goal of the season contender as a consolation in a derby thrashing.

Soon Trossard was squaring for Eze to lash past Vicario as Udogie slid and fell flat on his backside.

There was almost a fourth for Eze when Vicario pushed out another powerful effort.

But the hooting was loud enough already. Frank’s Spurs were being laughed all the way back along the Seven Sisters Road.

RICHARLISON wowed the Emirates Stadium with a remarkable North London Derby goal from just beyond the centre circle.

Tottenham were 3-0 down by the time the Brazilian tried to drag them back into the contest with a staggering long-distance strike.

Richarlison ran into the path of the loose ball after his team-mate, Joao Palhinha, had dispossessed Martin Zubimendi near the halfway line.

And he didn’t even take a touch before floating a pinpoint effort over the scrambling David Raya in the 55th minute.

Arsenal keeper Raya had sprinted back to his goal line at such speed that there was barely any room for the ball to fly in.

But Richarlison’s perfectly executed attempt found the smallest of gaps to nestle in the net.

Sky Sports co-commentator Gary Neville called the strike “inch perfect”, and many fans are branding it a goal of the season contender.

Manchester United legend Neville said: “It wasn’t necessarily the defending that cost them [Arsenal], it was the actual on-ball player, Zubimendi, not releasing it quickly enough.

“But, after that, Richarlison still has so much to do.”

Many viewers made a beeline for social media, blown away by what they had just seen.

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One X user wrote: “Goal of the season ladies and gents.”

Another posted: “Swear this guy only scores bangers.”

A third replied: “Got to say that is some finish. The accuracy is great.”

And a fourth chimed in with: “Raya shouldn’t be getting beaten from there but you have to give Richarlison credit for the execution.”

Richarlison’s goal ultimately counted for little, and Arsenal even re-established their three-goal cushion when Eberechi Eze completed his hat-trick.

Eze – who Spurs boss Thomas Frank taunted leading up to the match – netted Arsenal’s second, third and fourth goals after Leandro Trossard had opened the scoring in the 36th minute with a spinning effort that deflected into the bottom corner.

The result moves Arsenal six points clear at the top of the Premier League and leaves Tottenham ninth.

RANDAL KOLO MUANI is hoping his jaw protector helps him become Tottenham’s North London Derby hero.

The French forward has had a tough start to his Spurs career since completing his season-long loan switch from Paris Saint-Germain.

Muani, 26, has already missed 12 games for Tottenham in comparison to the five that he was out for during his two years with parent Club PSG.

However, the Spurs striker returns to action for arguably the club’s highly anticipated fixture on the calendar – the North London Derby against bitter rivals Arsenal.

But Muani is sporting a completely different look from how he was before the international break.

Why is Randal Kolo Muani wearing a jaw protector?

Kolo Muani suffered a fractured jaw during the first half of Tottenham’s 2-2 draw against Manchester United.

The French forward collided aerially with Harry Maguire, which then led to him being substituted at half-time.

Scans on November 9 confirmed a fracture of the lower jaw, and it was described as “more serious than expected.”

Despite no surgery being required, early estimates suggested that Muani would need a 6-8 week recovery, which would have sidelined him until late December or early January.

However, in a huge twist, the Spurs star returned to training wearing a specifically fitted protective mask.

And this is the same mask that he is wearing for today’s huge derby against bitter rivals Arsenal.

FOOTBALL fans fumed that Eberechi Eze’s North London derby goal was allowed to stand.

The Arsenal superstar, 27, added his side’s second just five minutes after Leandro Trossard gave the hosts the lead over arch-rivals Tottenham.

Eze, who turned down Spurs to join his beloved Gunners in the summer, jinxed past defenders on the edge of the box.

And his rasping strike was too hot for Guglielmo Vicario to handle.

The Italian got a wrist to the ball but could only divert it into the back of the net.

But plenty watching the action on TV – plus Les Ferdinand in the Sky Sports studio at the Emirates – could not believe the goal stood.

That is because there were two Arsenal players standing in offside positions when Eze shot.

Both Martin Zubimendi and Trossard were beyond the last Tottenham defender.

And many argued they were in Vicario’s eyeline and therefore interfering with the goalkeeper – even though they made no attempt to play the ball or get involved.

One said: “I honestly can’t believe what I’m seeing in the Premier League right now. How does Eze’s goal not even get checked by VAR?”

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Another wrote: “That is a ridiculous decision. Not one but two players blocking the keeper’s view when Eze shot the ball. How can you check VAR and still give the goal?”

A third added: “Two Arsenal players standing in an offside position for Eze goal, nothing on commentary about it and nothing on VAR.”

And a final user fumed: “I was literally waiting for the VAR check there on Eze’s goal. That’s obstruction imo.”

Plenty also pointed out the lack of consistency from officials in recent weeks.

Virgil van Dijk’s header against Manchester City was controversially ruled out even though Andy Robertson ducked out of the way and was not impacting Gianluigi Donnarumma.

And Liverpool felt hard done by again on Saturday when Murillo’s opener for Nottingham Forest was checked and cleared – despite Dan Ndoye’s positioning.

However, the Premier League Match Centre X account confirmed why the Eze goal was given.

They posted: “The referee’s call of goal was checked and confirmed by VAR – with it deemed that there were no Arsenal players in the line of vision of the goalkeeper, and they made no movement to impact an opponent while in an offside position.”

And there could be no complaints about Eze’s second and Arsenal’s third goal just 37 seconds into the second half, brilliantly finding the bottom corner.

Richarlison pulled one back with a brilliant long-range, quick-thinking lob over David Raya.

But Eze put the game beyond any doubt by wrapping up an emphatic hat-trick with another fine finish.

EBERECHI EZE punished Thomas Frank for his cocky pre-match comment by netting in Sunday’s North London Derby.

Tottenham came close to signing Eze in the summer transfer window before local rivals Arsenal beat them to the punch.

When asked whether he was hoping to snap up the former Crystal Palace playmaker, Spurs boss Frank said: “Who’s Eze?”

The 27-year-old responded by plundering a sweet strike into the back of Guglielmo Vicario’s net to make it 2-0 just before half-time.

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THE Emirates and social media is in meltdown after Arsenal fans unveiled a cheeky tifo featuring Sol Campbell ahead of the North London derby.

Social media was immediately buzzing over the stunt, with one Gunners fan tweeting: “Front row for Campbell’s eternal betrayal? Legendary.”

Another added: “Absolute top-tier trolling. Spurs are fuming already.”

The banner shows Campbell with arms wide and an unmistakable nod to his infamous switch from Spurs to Arsenal.

Fans are calling it “ultimate s***housery” and “the troll of the century.”

Spurs supporters in the stands were not impressed, with reactions ranging from groans to full-on facepalms.

One fan posted a GIF of a crying toddler captioned: “Us, 20 years later.”

Meanwhile, Arsenal supporters are loving every second and were chanting his name and waving signs reminding everyone who crossed the divide.

The rivalry has clearly reached a new level today and X is having a field day.

One Spurs fan joked on X: “If looks could kill.”

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It promised a lively start to the game that could see Arsenal go six points clear if they win.

Thomas Frank has had a decent start to life, but a win against Arsenal would not only see them jump into the top four, it would also boost confidence.

THIERRY HENRY has issued a warning to Arsenal’s stars ahead of their North London derby against Tottenham this afternoon.

After title rivals Manchester City and Liverpool both lost on Saturday, Arsenal have the opportunity to go six points clear of second-placed Chelsea.

But the two-time Premier League winner with Arsenal insists Mikel Arteta‘s boys must stay focused on the task.

Speaking on Sky Sports, the Gunners legend said: “It’s Tottenham. Yes obviously the game is important, but you find yourself in a situation where you play against your enemy.

“So you put the title on the side and you make sure that you can brag the day after.”

During his time in North London, Henry boasted an unblemished personal record against Spurs.

In 11 matches against their neighbours, the Premier League Hall of Famer has won seven and drawn four, scoring five goals and providing two assists in those derby games.

After scoring a sensational solo goal in their 3-0 win over Spurs in November 2002, Henry sprinted the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the Tottenham fans.

Today, he has a statue at The Emirates depicting that famous celebration at Highbury.

Reflecting on the legendary moment, Henry said: “At the very beginning, you can’t pretend to know.

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“I’ll be honest with you I wasn’t born being an Arsenal fan. You kind of understand what it means.

“If I remember exactly, I sprinted one way, then I sprinted the other way and I didn’t want the ball for a little while.

“But yeah, it was special and it stayed in history.”

With first-choice strikers Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres both ruled out for the crunch clash, Arteta is likely to start Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino in the No9 role.

Key centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes is also absent with a groin problem.

Merino will be hoping to draw inspiration from Henry’s impeccable record against Spurs when he takes to the pitch.

ARSENAL welcome North London rivals Tottenham to the Emirates for a blockbuster derby on Super Sunday – and the starting lineups have been revealed!

The Gunners return from the international break looking to get back to winning ways after they were held to a 2-2 draw at Sunderland before the season was briefly paused.

Arsenal are flying high at the top of the Premier League table and can extend their lead after Manchester City’s shock defeat against Newcastle.

Thomas Frank is looking for some consistency from his Spurs side after taking just seven points from their last five games.

Kick off time: 4.30pm GMT

TV channel: Sky Sports Main Event

Live stream: NOW / Sky Sports app

Arsenal team: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Hincapie, Calafiori; Rice, Zubimendi, Eze; Saka, Trossard, Merino

Tottenham team: Vicario; Danso, Romero, Van de Ven; Spence, Palhinha, Bentancur, Udogie; Kudus, Richarlison, Odobert

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