Eberechi Eze scores his first Arsenal hat-trick in a 4-1 demolition of Tottenham, calling the moment “special” and dedicating it to his faith.
EBERECHI Eze described his first Arsenal hat-trick as “special” after inspiring a 4-1 demolition of north London rivals Tottenham on Sunday.
The England midfielder tore Tottenham apart with three clinical finishes at the Emirates Stadium following Leandro Trossard’s opener.
Eze had made a relatively slow start since his £60 million (RM312 million) move from Crystal Palace in August.
But against the club he rejected to join Mikel Arteta’s team, the 27-year-old delivered a sublime display that sent Arsenal six points clear at the Premier League summit.
“That’s a good one man. Enjoyable day. Happy to help the team and to win today was special,” Eze said.
He described the moment as beyond words, calling it “special” in his post-match comments.
Rejected by Arsenal as a teenager, Eze has now established himself among English football’s elite talents after a long and winding career.
The devoutly religious player attributed his man of the match performance to his faith.
Having scored only twice in 15 previous Arsenal appearances, this stunning display highlighted what Tottenham missed out on.
“I prayed for it. This is what I pray for. I prayed for a hat-trick so I am grateful to God,” Eze revealed.
“That was the prayer today. God gave it to me and that is faith, man. All my family is here and that makes it even more special for me.”
Eze’s brilliance significantly boosted Arsenal’s bid for a first English title since 2004 after three consecutive runners-up finishes.
His hat-trick was the first in a north London derby since 1978 and only the fourth in the long history of the bitter rivalry.
When asked to choose his best goal, Eze selected his second strike, which came with a clinical finish just 35 seconds after half-time.
“They are all good. Maybe the second one. That was my favourite,” he said.
“All of them are good for me because I have been working on the process to get in that position so that’s good again.” – AFP
