Eze and Gyokeres overpower Tottenham to aid Arsenal's title charge

Arsenal's Eberechi Eze caused havoc for Tottenham once more with a pair of goals that reignited the Premier League frontrunners' campaign for the crown during a convincing 4-1 victory over their local adversaries on Sunday.

Mikel Arteta's team snapped a troubling streak without a win in their last two outings and extended their advantage over runners-up Manchester City to five points, courtesy of Eze's standout performance alongside two strikes from Viktor Gyokeres.

After turning down an opportunity to sign with Tottenham during the summer transfer window, Eze has delivered his finest displays in an Arsenal jersey when facing the club that once pursued him.

The 27 year old notched a treble during Arsenal's 4-1 demolition of Tottenham back in November, and Arteta reinstated the England international to his first eleven for this return fixture, overlooking his recent dip in form.

Eze justified Arteta's trust by scoring his initial goals since that trio against Tottenham, halting a goalless spell that stretched across 18 fixtures.

Eze opened the scoring for Arsenal midway through the opening period at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, only for Randal Kolo Muani to level things up right away.

Gyokeres calmed Arsenal's jitters moments into the second half, Eze added the third goal, and Gyokeres sealed a crucial triumph.

Following a challenging debut campaign after transferring from Sporting Lisbon, Gyokeres' strikes brought as much relief to the Swedish forward as Eze's did to his teammate.

The turnaround stories for Eze and Gyokeres arrived at the perfect juncture, with Arsenal's pursuit of the championship having derailed recently. 

The Gunners had built a solid buffer in their bid for a first English league success since 2004, yet dropped points in stalemates with Brentford and Wolves over their prior two matches had injected fresh energy into the competition.

Manchester City's 2-1 triumph against Newcastle the day before had narrowed the difference to Arsenal down to merely two points.

Recognising the rising stakes, Arteta challenged his squad to seek employment elsewhere if they struggled with the intense scrutiny and challenges of a title fight, encouraging them to shape their own path.

Nimble Eze

While Arsenal heeded Arteta's motivational words, Manchester City retain control over the championship's outcome.

Should Pep Guardiola's outfit secure their final 11 encounters, they will claim the trophy irrespective of Arsenal's fate in their concluding 10 outings.

Arsenal remain undefeated in the past eight clashes between the north London sides, and their supporters relished taunting Tottenham fans about the uncertainty of a reunion next term.

Tottenham sit merely four points clear of the drop zone, their trophyless streak in the league now reaching nine games under caretaker manager Igor Tudor in his debut match after Thomas Frank's dismissal.

Tudor remains utterly convinced that his struggling side will steer clear of demotion.

However, the threat of competing in the second tier for the first time since the 1977-78 season lingers ominously, given their paltry two victories from the last 18 league dates.

Arsenal's persistent attacking in the initial 45 minutes bore fruit in the 32nd minute.

Pape Sarr heedlessly lost the ball near his penalty area, allowing Bukayo Saka to deliver a cross to Eze, who controlled it before unleashing a deft volley from 10 yards out.

Arsenal's advantage endured for only two minutes, undone by a similarly careless error.

Declan Rice hesitated with possession outside his box, and Kolo Muani capitalised, evading William Saliba to rifle a powerful effort beyond David Raya's reach.

Arsenal stayed composed and exploited further lapses at the back in the 47th minute.

Jurrien Timber fed the ball to Gyokeres, and Tottenham's sluggish rearguard afforded him plenty of room on the fringes of the box to swivel and hammer an unerring drive past Guglielmo Vicario.

Eze landed the decisive punch in the 61st minute, aided by yet another lapse from Tottenham's backline.

Micky Van de Ven's challenge halted Saka's attempt on goal, but Joao Palhinha botched the clearance, enabling Eze to eagerly finish from 12 yards.

Gyokeres provided the final touch, shrugging off Archie Gray to net in added time as Tottenham supporters headed for the stands' exits.