How outstanding is Eze’s performance exactly?

For Eze, this was such a wonderful afternoon. Just like when he joined Arsenal in the summer and made his debut at the Emirates Stadium, the expression on the 27 – year – old player’s face after scoring the second goal has said it all. Eze has been an Arsenal fan since he was a child, and he seemed to find it hard to believe what he had just accomplished. In his first North London Derby as a player, he scored two brilliant goals, helping the team take a 3 – 0 lead.

Eze’s first goal came from his excellent ball control on the edge of the penalty area, which created a shooting opportunity. This is exactly the way of scoring that Arsenal has been striving for in recent years. His second goal, scored with his left foot, perfectly showed his state at that time. Before completing a hat – trick, he easily got past a Tottenham Hotspur defender and scored. Eze has become the first Arsenal player to score a hat – trick in the North London Derby since Alan Sunderland in 1978.

The background of this game is the transfer rumors between Eze and these two clubs in the summer, which only makes these goals more meaningful. Although Tottenham Hotspur seemed to take the initiative, the call that Eze made to Arteta at the last moment showed how eager he was to return to the club. He had previously stated publicly that when other clubs were interested in him, he would often ask Arsenal if they were interested in him.

At Friday’s pre – match press conference, Tottenham Hotspur manager Frank was asked about Eze, and he replied, “Who?” It is certain that he no longer needs anyone to remind him now.

How did Arsenal break through Tottenham Hotspur’s five – man defensive line?

Due to the injury of Jorginho, Arsenal could not rely solely on individual ability to repeatedly attack Tottenham Hotspur’s five – man defensive system. However, they found another way to break through the defense: the chip pass. Only in the 3rd minute of the game, Eze used a chip pass to find Rice, and Vicario made a wonderful save.

However, Arsenal has many players with the ability to handle the ball in narrow spaces, and it was only a matter of time before they tried this kind of cooperation again. Therefore, when Merino received the ball in front of Tottenham Hotspur’s penalty area and noticed Trossard’s running position, the result was already doomed. The Spanish player sent a well – timed chip pass to find Trossard, who turned around and shot to score, helping Arsenal take the lead.

How is Inaki Williams’ performance?

Due to Gabriel’s upcoming absence for a period of time, the biggest selection problem Arteta faced was how to find a replacement for the central defender position. He had three choices: Inaki Williams, Calafiori, and Mosquera. In the end, he chose the most reasonable one, Inaki Williams. This was his first start for Arsenal in the league, and he integrated into the team quickly.

Saliba and Gabriel have a tacit understanding as partners, and their styles complement each other. Gabriel is usually a more aggressive defensive player, and Inaki Williams has also shown the same characteristics. His new partnership with Saliba performed with ease when defending in the high position.

In the early stage of the game, his several key interceptions helped Arsenal suppress Tottenham Hotspur in their own half. His confrontation with Kudus was particularly impressive. He kept disturbing the Tottenham Hotspur forward and prevented him from dribbling forward. This active defensive style is crucial for Arsenal and laid a solid foundation for them to score two goals in the first half.