Eberechi Eze Hat-Trick Stuns Spurs as Gabriel and Saliba Troll Richarlison Online

Arsenal sent shockwaves through North London on Sunday with a commanding 4-1 demolition of Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium. But the drama didn't end with the final whistle—Arsenal's Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhães and French center-back William Saliba extended the humiliation by trolling Spurs striker Richarlison on social media in spectacular fashion.

Eze Makes History in His First Derby

The headlines belonged to Eberechi Eze, who produced a performance for the ages in his debut North London Derby. The 27-year-old midfielder, who nearly joined Spurs before Arsenal swooped in with a £60 million transfer from Crystal Palace in August, showed Tottenham exactly what they missed out on.

Eze became the first player to score a Premier League hat-trick in the North London Derby since Alan Sunderland achieved the feat for Arsenal in December 1978. His three sublime finishes—all displaying exceptional technique and composure—sent Arsenal six points clear at the top of the Premier League table.

After Leandro Trossard opened the scoring in the 36th minute with a deflected effort, Eze took center stage. His first goal came five minutes before halftime, showcasing quick feet and a powerful strike that left Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario helpless. Just 35 seconds into the second half, Eze struck again with another clinical finish into the corner.

Despite Richarlison pulling one back with an audacious 40-yard chip over David Raya—arguably the goal of the season—Eze completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute with a beautifully curled effort that sealed Arsenal's dominance.

Arteta Hails Eze's "Aura"

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was effusive in his praise for Eze, claiming the England international has brought a special quality to the squad.

"Things happen for a reason," Arteta said post-match. "After international duty, he had two days off, and after one day he wanted to train, and he wanted to improve, and he wanted to do extra practice. When a player has such talent and his desire is at that level, then these things happen."

Arteta added: "Since the day that he came, he brought something else to the team. It's a joy, it's an aura that this team needed. Hopefully it will give him a lot of confidence and the team, that at any moment he can win us a game."

Gabriel and Saliba's Social Media Masterclass

While Eze's on-field brilliance captured the attention, Arsenal's defenders ensured the celebrations continued online—at Richarlison's expense.

Gabriel Magalhães, who missed the match due to a groin injury sustained on international duty with Brazil, wasted no time getting involved in the festivities from the sidelines. The Brazilian defender posted a photo on Instagram showing himself wearing Eze's match shirt, draped in an Arsenal scarf, and posing with the signed match ball, Player of the Match trophy, and his own October Player of the Month award.

The kicker? Gabriel tagged his Brazil international teammate Richarlison in the post—a clear reference to their ongoing social media feud that dates back to last season's derby encounters.

Saliba Joins the Party

William Saliba, who put in a dominant defensive display against Tottenham, couldn't resist adding his own contribution to the banter. The French defender posted a carousel of images from the match on Instagram, strategically selecting photos that showed him physically dominating Richarlison throughout the game.

The first and last images in Saliba's post depicted him wrestling the Spurs striker to the ground—a visual representation of how thoroughly he had controlled Richarlison for the entire 90 minutes. His caption? "North London is still Red."

Despite Richarlison's spectacular long-range goal, the Brazilian forward was largely anonymous for the match, managing just a handful of touches and losing most of his physical battles with Saliba. Arsenal limited Spurs to an xG (expected goals) of just 0.07—the lowest recorded by any team across all 119 Premier League games this season.

Teammates Pile On

The social media trolling didn't go unnoticed by Arsenal's squad. Declan Rice quickly jumped into the comments section of Saliba's post, leaving a padlock emoji along with the word "up"—a clear message that Saliba had "locked up" Richarlison for the entire match.

Gabriel responded to Saliba's post with "Oui, oui, oui merci" (Yes, yes, yes, thank you) and even shared the image of Saliba dominating Richarlison on his own Instagram story, ensuring maximum exposure for the playful jab.

The Ongoing Rivalry

The feud between Gabriel and Richarlison has been brewing for over a year, with both players—despite being international teammates for Brazil—engaging in repeated social media exchanges following North London Derby encounters.

The rivalry reportedly began after a preseason friendly when Richarlison won Player of the Match and posted about it online. Gabriel's latest post was seen as payback, mimicking Richarlison's celebration style while Arsenal claimed all three points and the bragging rights.

Perfect Timing Adds Insult to Injury

The timing of Eze's heroics couldn't have been more painful for Tottenham. The England midfielder was heavily linked with a move to Spurs during the summer transfer window before Arsenal swooped in at the last moment. Tottenham instead signed Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig, who started Sunday's match on the bench.

Even Spurs manager Thomas Frank—who has now lost five of his 19 games in charge—joked during his pre-match press conference when asked about Eze, replying "Who's Eze?" The comment came back to haunt him spectacularly as the Arsenal playmaker delivered a performance that will be remembered for years.

Statement Victory

The comprehensive win moves Arsenal six points clear at the top of the Premier League, taking full advantage of defeats for title rivals Liverpool and Manchester City over the weekend. With momentum building and confidence soaring, Arteta's side are sending a clear message that they mean business this season.

For Tottenham, currently sitting ninth in the table, the defeat was not just painful—it was humiliating. The combination of Eze's masterclass, the defensive dominance of Saliba, and the subsequent social media trolling from Arsenal players ensured this was a North London Derby they'll want to forget quickly.

As Gabriel's post perfectly encapsulated: when it comes to bragging rights in North London, Arsenal are firmly in control—both on the pitch and online.