Hat-Trick Hero Eze Dazes Spurs as Henry Warns Odegaard: Arsenal Keep the Ascendancy
23 November 2025
Henry warns Odegaard as Eze shines in derby triumph
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry warned captain Martin Ødegaard that his starting spot might not be guaranteed after newcomer Eberechi Eze starred, scoring a hat-trick as Arsenal routed Tottenham 4-1 in the North London Derby on Sunday.
Henry told Sky Sports that, in his view, Eze is a true No. 10, not a winger, and that he showed it tonight. He added that with Odegaard nearing full fitness, Arteta faces healthy competition that every top team desires.
With Odegaard close to full sharpness, the manager now has a selection dilemma, but Henry insists Eze shouldn't be moved from his best position after such a display.
Arsenal kept their six-point lead in the Premier League after Manchester City dropped points at Newcastle a day earlier, delivering a strong performance against their North London rivals.
Leandro Trossard opened at the 36th minute mark, and Eze doubled just before halftime after dribbling past a couple of rivals and firing a precise low shot past the Tottenham goalkeeper.
Early in the second half, Eze struck again to extend the lead, before Richarlison gave Spurs a glimmer of hope by scoring from a counter-attack, but Eze would seal it with his third with about 15 minutes remaining, in what was a historic night for the Arsenal man.
The 27-year-old attacker had started his Arsenal career mostly on the wing, but with Ødegaard sidelined, he became the main creative force and produced one of his best performances yet.
Before the match, Spurs boss Thomas Frank joked that he asked who when asked about Eze's potential move to Spurs; the echo of that comment came back to bite him as Eze proved him wrong on the night.
Arsenal's trump card continues to be Eze, who joined Arsenal last summer from Crystal Palace for £67 million and has since become a key figure for Arteta. He had already shown decisive moments, including an assist to Gabriel Martinelli against City and a late winner against Palace, and tonight he completed a hat-trick against Spurs.
As for the stat line, Eze now has 10 goals and 8 assists; among English players in 2025, only Haaland (25) and Salah (23) ahead of him in combined goals involvement, with Eze contributing in 18 of Arsenal's goals this season.
Henry's assessment and his praise for Eze's willingness to train and improve exemplify the healthy competition blazing through Arsenal this season.
Two light punchlines: If football had a mood ring, Arsenal would be wearing it today—green for go and shiny for hat-tricks. And if Ødegaard loses his spot, maybe he should try goalkeeper—a position with less rotation and more gloves to steal the applause.
