Arsenal moved six points clear at the top of the Premier League on Sunday after a commanding 4-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby.
It was one of their strongest displays of the season, driven by Eberechi Eze’s first senior hat-trick for the club.
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Arsenal controlled the match from the start and broke through in the 36th minute when Leandro Trossard finished calmly after a smart pass from Mikel Merino.
The Gunners doubled their lead just before half-time, with Eze beating two defenders on the edge of the box before firing past goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
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Tottenham manager Thomas Frank abandoned his defensive setup at half-time, bringing on Xavi Simons to add some spark.
But Arsenal struck again almost instantly. Just 23 seconds into the second half, Eze curled a left-footed shot into the bottom corner to make it 3-0, ending any hopes Spurs had of getting back into the game.
Tottenham did manage a moment of quality when Richarlison lifted the ball over David Raya from about 40 yards.
But that was as good as it got for the visitors. Arsenal restored their three-goal advantage in the 76th minute when Eze completed his hat-trick, guiding another precise finish past Vicario.
The win puts Arsenal in their strongest early-season position in years.
With Chelsea sitting six points behind in second place and both Manchester City and Liverpool losing on Saturday, the Gunners have taken full control of the title race after 12 games.
Arsenal have finished second in each of the last three seasons, but performances like this may see them winning their first Premier League title since 2004.
Other game
Elsewhere, Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers continued his fine form on his return from England duty, scoring twice in a 2-1 comeback win over Leeds.
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The hosts struck first at Elland Road when Lukas Nmecha finished from close range after a goalmouth scramble, with VAR allowing the goal to stand.
Rogers pulled Villa level early in the second half, guiding in Donyell Malen’s cross in the 48th minute.
He then sealed the points with a superb free-kick in the 75th, curling the ball over the wall and into the net.
Leeds briefly thought they had equalised through Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but the effort was ruled out for handball.
The victory marked Villa’s sixth win in seven league games and lifted them to fourth place.
In contrast, promoted Leeds have now suffered five defeats in their last six matches and slipped into the relegation zone.
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