After joining Arsenal for a combined £131.5 million last summer, Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyökeres have overcome a quiet start to become central figures in the club’s historic title charge.
Their presence could be the deciding factor as the Gunners look to end a 22-year Premier League drought.
Mikel Arteta’s decision to start the duo today paid off handsomely, as both delivered standout performances in a dominant 4–1 victory away at Tottenham Hotspur.
After a disappointing midweek collapse against Wolves, the north London rivals clash that many feared would be awkward was instead controlled with real authority by the visitors, who recorded their largest away success at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since 1978.
Prior to kick-off the home stadium announcer had declared: ‘There’s a fire to be lit. They’re nervous as hell.’ In truth, the composed league leaders displayed no signs of anxiety whatsoever.
Eze had failed to register a single shot on target across his restricted 11 Premier League outings since scoring a hat-trick in the reverse fixture back in November, but he exploded into life by grabbing a brace on this occasion.
Gyokeres, frequently criticised for appearing cumbersome and ungainly following his move from Sporting Lisbon, posed a constant danger right from the outset and was richly rewarded with a powerful strike that restored the lead after Randal Kolo Muani levelled, before adding the decisive third himself.
That goal took the Swede’s Premier League tally to 10 for what has been a widely scrutinised debut season in England. Gary Neville observed: ‘The best I’ve seen him in a big game. He’s never going to be the most graceful.
Despite previous criticism that he often looked “heavy” or lacked mobility, Viktor Gyökeres delivered the most commanding performance of his Premier League career to date.
The Swedish striker silenced doubters with a clinical brace, but it was his work rate—evidenced by a career-high number of touches—that truly stood out.
On the opposite side, newly appointed Tottenham interim manager Igor Tudor faces a daunting rebuild.
His side appeared largely second-best, though Spurs supporters will likely point to a controversial moment in the second half.
Randal Kolo Muani saw a potential equalizer chalked off after the referee ruled he had pushed Gabriel Magalhães, a decision Spurs fans felt was influenced by an “exaggerated” fall from the Arsenal defender.
The game’s only real disruption came from a bizarre technical failure in the officials’ communication headsets.
The glitch halted play for nearly six minutes in the first half and caused a further delay at the start of the second.
The chaos drew a sharp rebuke from commentator Gary Neville, who described the situation as “an absolute shambles.” However, the stoppage did little to derail the league leaders.
Arsenal reasserted their 82% possession almost immediately, with Gyökeres physically dominating Radu Drăgușin throughout the match.
The breakthrough finally came on 32 minutes, as Bukayo Saka—fresh from signing a new five-year contract—brilliantly bypassed Pape Matar Sarr to set up Eberechi Eze for the opener.
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