Match Report: Tottenham Hotspur 1-4 Arsenal

Arsenal deliver ruthless north London derby masterclass as Eze and Gyökeres fire title statement victory in Tottenham 4-1 demolition.

ArsenalTalks Match Report | February 22, 2026

Arsenal delivered a ruthless north London derby masterclass to crush Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 and restore their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table, producing a statement performance that underlined their title credentials.

Braces from Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyökeres turned a briefly competitive contest into total dominance for Mikel Arteta’s side, while Spurs’ new interim boss Igor Tudor endured a nightmare debut on the biggest stage possible.

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This was not just a derby win — it was a title message.

Arsenal began with authority, silencing the home crowd through early dominance of possession and territory. The Gunners carved out chances through Gyökeres, Trossard, and Saka, with Tottenham struggling to cope with the pace and movement of Arteta’s front line.

The breakthrough arrived on 31 minutes. Bukayo Saka burned past his marker on the right and drilled a low cross into the box. Eberechi Eze controlled, spun, and smashed a high-angled finish past Guglielmo Vicario to give Arsenal a deserved lead.

But Spurs hit back instantly.

Just two minutes later, Declan Rice was caught in possession outside the Arsenal area. Randal Kolo Muani pounced, surged forward, and slid a low finish past David Raya to level the contest at 1–1, briefly igniting the home crowd.

Arsenal, however, never lost control. Saka forced a one-on-one save from Vicario, Trossard clipped the outside of the post, and the Gunners went into the break looking the far more composed side.

Second-Half Destruction

Any hopes of a Spurs revival were destroyed within 90 seconds of the restart.

Jurrien Timber fed Viktor Gyökeres on the edge of the box. One touch. One strike. A thunderous finish into the far corner. 2–1 Arsenal.

From that moment, the contest became one-way traffic.

On the hour mark, slick Arsenal interplay between Gyökeres, Eze, and Saka ripped Tottenham apart. A blocked shot fell kindly to Eze, who calmly buried his second goal of the afternoon to make it 3–1.

Tottenham attempted to respond with changes, and Richarlison went close with a clever flick that Raya clawed off the line — but Arsenal remained in complete control.

Deep into stoppage time, Gyökeres completed a dominant individual display. Holding off his marker, the Swedish striker tucked home his second of the night and his 15th goal of the season to seal a devastating 4–1 victory.

The scoreline matched the reverse fixture at the Emirates.
The message was even louder.

Standout Performers in Arsenal 4-1 demolition of Tottenham

Eberechi Eze – Man of the Match. Two goals, constant threat, total composure. A derby performance of elite quality.
Viktor Gyökeres – Relentless pressing, two goals, and link-up play of the highest level. A complete centre-forward display.
Bukayo Saka – Unplayable on the right flank. Direct, creative, and decisive.

The Arsenal backline — Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, and Hincapié — remained composed and dominant after the equaliser, shutting down Spurs’ attacking transitions.

Arteta’s side controlled space, tempo, and territory, repeatedly exploiting Spurs’ high defensive line with ruthless efficiency. The structure, pressing, and positional discipline reflected a team operating with championship maturity.

Arsenal have now won:

• Five consecutive league games against Tottenham
• Four straight away derbies at Spurs
• Both league derbies this season by identical 4–1 scorelines

Arsenal move to 61 points from 28 games, five clear of Manchester City.
Tottenham remain in relegation danger, sitting 16th and sliding deeper into crisis.

ArsenalTalks Analysis

This wasn’t just a derby win — it was a title performance.

Control. Intensity. Ruthlessness. Mentality.
Every championship trait was on display.

With pressure rising and the margin for error shrinking, Arsenal responded with authority, composure, and dominance in the biggest domestic fixture of their season so far.

North London didn’t just turn red.
It was painted red.

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