Mikel Arteta has disclosed that Eberechi Eze wanted extra training before the Arsenal star hit a sublime hat-trick in an emphatic 4-1 victory over Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
The midfielder, who was on the brink of joining Spurs from Crystal Palace in a £67.5million deal before Arsenal intervened late in the summer, delivered a devastating performance that underscored exactly why the Gunners moved swiftly to secure him.
Eze’s treble places him among rare company, making him only the third Arsenal player to score three goals against Tottenham, following Ted Drake in 1934 and Alan Sunderland in 1978.
Arteta described the 27-year-old’s dedication in the week leading up to the derby, insisting his success was no accident.
“Things happen for a reason,” the Arsenal manager said.
“After international duty, he had two days off, and after one day he wanted to train. He wanted to improve, and he wanted to do extra practice and he was asking me questions about this and that.
"When a player has such a talent, and his desire is at that level, then these things happen. And he fully deserves it.”
Five things to know about Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta
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Mikel Arteta has disclosed that Eberechi Eze wanted extra training before the Arsenal star hit a sublime hat-trick in an emphatic 4-1 victory over Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday
|PA
Arteta credited Eze with bringing a new spark to the squad since his arrival.
“I’m so happy for him, because since the day that he came, he brought something else to the team," he added.
"It’s a joy, it’s an aura that this team needed and hopefully it will give him a lot of confidence, to him and the team, that at any moment he can win us a game.”
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Eberechi Eze was the star of the show as Arsenal thumped Tottenham
|REUTERS
The victory carries particular significance for Arsenal, who now hold a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League following Newcastle's 2-1 victory over Manchester City on Saturday.
Arteta, however, refused to dwell on the table.
“What does that mean? In this league, not much. We are doing really well. We’ve been really consistent and that’s it,” he added.
Tottenham arrived with a cautious game plan that showed little intent in attack, leaving Arsenal with the burden of breaking them down.
The breakthrough came in the 36th minute when Mikel Merino floated a ball into the area, leading to Leandro Trossard’s swivel and shot, deflected into the corner by Micky van de Ven.
Soon after, a loose clearance fell to Declan Rice, who deftly nudged it into Eze’s path.
Eberechi Eze's sublime hat-trick has moved Arsenal six points clear at the top of the Premier League table
|REUTERS
The playmaker danced out of a congested pocket of defenders before rifling the ball past Guglielmo Vicario.
Spurs manager Thomas Frank responded by introducing Xavi Simons for Kevin Danso in an attempt to find a spark. Yet within 40 seconds of the restart, Eze struck again, receiving Jurrien Timber’s pass on the edge of the box and guiding a precise finish into the far corner.
Tottenham managed a brief reprieve when Richarlison’s speculative 40-yard strike surprised David Raya, their first effort of the match, but Eze was not finished.
He sealed his hat-trick by collecting a squared pass from Trossard and bending another unstoppable effort beyond Vicario.
It marked a humbling end to Tottenham’s unbeaten away record, with Frank forced to accept responsibility for a conservative tactical approach.
“Where do you want me to start,” he said afterwards. “I’m a very big believer that no matter what system you play, you can be successful. So the full responsibility will always be on me. Today, when we had the ball I picked a team that played 5-4-1. I changed it at half-time, and they scored. Very, very clever. And then the rest is history.”