PREMIER League, NOVEMBER 23 2025
Trossard (36)
Eze (41, 46, 76)
Richarlison (55)
Arsenal extended their lead to six points at the top of the Premier League table with this thumping north London derby win. To make matters worse for Tottenham, Eberechi Eze – who they came close to signing in the summer – scored a hat-trick. It was no less than the title-charging Gunners deserved from a dominant performance at a jubilant Emirates Stadium.
Leandro Trossard opened the scoring for the home side, after a neat turn and shot that went in off Micky van de Ven. Goals from Eze either side of half-time subsequently put Arsenal in a comfortable position, only for Richarlison to give Spurs a little hope by catching David Raya off his line. Arsenal and Eze were not to be denied, however, and elsewhere their faltering rivals do not currently look capable of denying them a first league title in 22 years.
Below, our UEFA-licensed coaches have picked out the tactical highlights from the derby.
How the managers saw it
“Individually the players were exceptional from minute one,” said Mikel Arteta. “They were super-dominant in almost every phase of the play. So, yeah, a day to remember.”
“Especially first half, we wanted to go more after them,” said Thomas Frank. “But we never really managed to do that, to get close enough, to put on the high pressure and, when they went long, to win the second ball and play from there. It was too few occasions.”
1335212413619107231417372463082092817/8
SHOTS / ON TARGET
3/2
56%
POSSESSION
44%
27
ATTACKS INTO AREA
9
2.33
EXPECTED GOALS (XG)
0.05
Arsenal eventually penetrating
From their initial 4-2-3-1 structure, Arsenal committed numbers to their right side in particular. There, Jurriën Timber and Bukayo Saka had a good passing relationship, with Eze also involved on this side. False nine Mikel Merino dropped away from Tottenham’s centre-backs, supporting the build through the centre as Trossard held the width, often alone, on the left. Riccardo Calafiori and Declan Rice supported their centre-backs and Martín Zubimendi in building around Tottenham’s first line (below), as Arsenal dominated the opening exchanges.
Despite having most of the ball and almost all the territory, for the first 35 minutes Arsenal rarely threatened the Spurs goal. When one of the away side’s centre-backs was marking in midfield – usually Van de Ven with the dropping Merino (below) – the Gunners lacked penetrative movements the other way. This was the case even when significant gaps appeared in which they could have run and played through Spurs’ back line. Arsenal also lacked passes back inside Tottenham’s 5-3-2 block, while it was taking too long for one of their deeper players to step forward with the ball and draw out Spurs’ midfield. In opposition, Frank’s midfield three worked tirelessly across the pitch to cover and protect against Arsenal’s sideways passes.
It was no coincidence that for the opening goal William Saliba stepped forward, which drew Rodrigo Bentancur out of midfield. He found Saka, who passed inside to Timber (below), with Van den Ven now out of the back line, likely covering Bentancur’s jump. With Eze and Merino positioned to attack the remaining Tottenham centre-backs, Arsenal combined centrally and Merino picked out a run in behind from Trossard. Arsenal’s only previous purposeful run in behind had come from Rice, who almost opened the scoring after three minutes. Now, thanks to Trossard, they had the lead. Buoyed, they grabbed a second when an unco-ordinated high press from Tottenham disorganised the visitors’ back line, and Eze finished through passive defending around the box.
Ruthless Eze
Tottenham improved and had more passing spells after changing shape for the second half. Unfortunately for Frank, they did so having already conceded moments after the restart. Throughout the second period, Merino’s wide-right involvement helped Saka and Timber progress the ball with forward passing. Trossard ran across aggressively from the left, often latching on to Tottenham’s far centre-back. Eze then found himself free as a central threat (below), receiving around the edge of the box with time and space to work efforts on goal. He grabbed his second and came close to making it 4-0, only for Richarlison to reduce the arrears.
Arsenal mixed up their second-half possession, sometimes playing longer and more direct into their wingers. They continued to place numbers on their right, where Merino joined to support direct passes. Trossard remained mostly isolated on the left in an intriguing tussle with Djed Spence, with one of Arsenal’s midfielders joining underneath. Accordingly, Eze was the central point of attack (below), often unattached from the Spurs’ midfield and able to receive between the lines and in dangerous areas in the final third.
Arsenal – pressing high in the second half to disrupt Tottenham’s now back-four build – were excellent at winning duels, first contacts and loose balls in the middle third. From there, the Gunners’ incisive forward passing often linked the midfield to Merino, who dropped short to combine when not moving wide. Arsenal’s wingers made narrowed runs from out to in, giving more forward-passing options around Tottenham’s centre-backs. Eze, running the opposite way to Merino (below), again found space to receive in high, central areas, grabbing a clinical hat-trick.
It all amounted to a perfect day for Arteta and his team, taking them six points clear of Chelsea after 12 games. With Manchester City losing at Newcastle United and now seven points off the pace, the Premier League table makes fantastic viewing for Arsenal fans as the winter months approach and they dream of ending their title drought.
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