In a spectacular display of footballing prowess, Arsenal midfielder Eberechi Eze has ruthlessly exposed Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank's pre-match bravado, scoring a magnificent hat-trick in a dominant 4-1 victory for the Gunners.
The 'Aura Moment' That Backfired Spectacularly
Ahead of the highly anticipated North London Derby, Spurs boss Thomas Frank seemed to be playing mind games. When journalists quizzed him about the Arsenal star his club had nearly signed, Frank maintained a deadpan expression and asked, "Who's Eze?" The room erupted in laughter, recognising the joke, and social media quickly dubbed it Frank's 'first aura moment of the season'.
That very post was viewed by over 75,000 people before the match. By Sunday evening, the comment had transformed from a confident quip into a source of profound regret for the Tottenham manager.
A Historic Performance at the Emirates
On the pitch, Eberechi Eze provided the ultimate response. The England international was in scintillating form, netting three times as Arsenal dismantled their arch-rivals. This emphatic hat-trick marked a historic achievement; the last player to score a hat-trick in the North London Derby was Alan Sunderland back in December 1978.
Eze's performance was so commanding that he received a perfect 10/10 rating from The Standard. The publication hailed his 'dream afternoon', noting he is only the fourth player in history to score a hat-trick on his derby debut. For the boyhood Arsenal fan, it was a fairy-tale realisation.
The Transfer Snub That Looms Large
The context of Frank's failed attempt at humour made the result even more painful for Tottenham. This summer, Arsenal secured Eze's signature from Crystal Palace for £67.5 million, swooping in at the last moment when a move to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium seemed almost certain.
Eze himself has since admitted that his choice was straightforward. "I was prepared to go to Tottenham," he revealed last month, "but from the moment Arsenal came, it was always going to be them." He described playing for Arsenal as the 'realisation of a dream', having been at the club's academy as a youngster.
Frank had previously taken a noble public stance on the transfer, insisting he didn't want players who weren't fully committed to the Spurs badge. However, as he watched Eze tear his team apart, the value of the 'one that got away' was painfully clear. The foiled transfer is now one the club will surely look back on with significant regret.
