Gyokeres and Eze both score braces as Arsenal win North London football derby to move five points clear at top of the table.
Published On 22 Feb 202622 Feb 2026
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Eberechi Eze has reignited Arsenal’s title ambitions in English football’s Premier League by being the scourge of Tottenham once again.
Three months after scoring a hat-trick against Spurs, the England midfielder netted two more goals against Arsenal’s fiercest rival in a 4-1 away win on Sunday. Viktor Gyokeres also scored twice for the leaders.
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Eze came close to joining Tottenham in the summer, only for Arsenal – his boyhood club – to swoop in and sign him instead for a reported 60 million pounds ($80m). Spurs are suffering even more now – his only goals since the start of November have come against them.
Arsenal rebounded after two straight draws that have let second-place Manchester City back in the title race.
The Gunners regained their five-point lead, but City has a game in hand and still has to host Mikel Arteta’s team in the league in mid-April. They also meet in the English League Cup final on March 22.
It proved to be a tough start to life as Tottenham manager for Igor Tudor, who has made a habit of picking up good results early in his tenures at previous clubs.
Not this time, though. Tottenham did equalise two minutes after conceding the opener to Eze when Randal Kolo Muani dispossessed Declan Rice and drilled home a finish for 1-1 in the 34th minute.
Gyokeres made it 2-1 with a shot from the edge of the area in the 47th, and Eze stretched the lead in the 61st with a rebound after Bukayo Saka’s shot was saved. Gyokeres scored again in stoppage time.
Arsenal have 10 league games remaining in their bid for a first top-flight title since 2004.
Eze has scored six league goals this season, of which five have been against Spurs. Asked why he holds that record against their rivals, he told Sky Sports: “I don’t know. I try to score every single game. It seems to work quite a lot against Tottenham. It’s a feeling you get.”
Elsewhere in the Premier League on Sunday, Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister struck a winner deep into stoppage time as his side snatched a scarcely-deserved 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest in their Premier League clash.
After a pedestrian 90 minutes in which they barely managed a shot on target, Mac Allister lit the fuse with a stoppage-time effort that was ruled out for handball before rifling home a rebound in the 97th minute to snatch the win.
Meanwhile, with doubts swirling around the future of Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner, his team dug out a 1-0 win over last-place Wolverhampton thanks to a last-minute goal.
Evann Guessand prodded home a far-post finish after coming on as a substitute.
Fulham climbed above Sunderland into the top half of the table after becoming just the second visiting side to win at the Stadium of Light this season.
Raul Jimenez’s double secured a 3-1 victory for Marco Silva’s men.
Who: Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal What: English Premier League Where: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK When: Sunday, February 22 at 4:30pm (16:30 GMT) How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 13:30 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.
Arsenal will look to banish their untimely bout of title race anxiety as the wobbling Premier League leaders head to bitter rivals Tottenham for the north London derby.
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Mikel Arteta’s men are in danger of blowing a commanding position in the title race after successive draws against Brentford and Wolves left them with just two wins in their last seven league matches.
The Gunners squandered the lead in both matches, with Wednesday’s 2-2 draw at bottom-of-the-table Wolves especially galling as they conceded a stoppage-time equaliser having led 2-0.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side will move two points behind Arsenal if they beat Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Tottenham’s new coach, Igor Tudor, faces a baptism of fire in his first game in charge of the club as he is tasked with steering Spurs out of a relegation battle.
Thomas Frank was sacked as Tottenham manager following the defeat to Newcastle earlier in February, as a dire domestic campaign has left Spurs in 16th place going into the weekend, just five points above the relegation zone.
Saka urges Arsenal to ‘get over the line’
On February 7, Arsenal players walked off the field after a convincing 3-0 home win against Sunderland with their lead in the Premier League at nine points. Then things started to go wrong.
Defiant Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka is adamant his side will eventually “get over the line” and end their trophy drought.
After allowing City to overhaul them in the 2023 and 2024 title races, the north Londoners, who have not won silverware since the 2020 FA Cup, face pointed questions about their ability to handle the mounting tension.
Saka said Arsenal must silence the doubters by getting back on track at archrivals Tottenham on Sunday.
“I believe the next few years are going to be the years that we get over the line, and we’re able to win trophies and make history for this club,” Saka said. “We’re back where we belong, fighting for everything.”
Saka in action against Wolves at Molineux on February 18 [Carl Recine/Getty Images]
Arteta dismisses ‘bottlers’ talk
Arsenal’s boss rejected the term “bottlers’ ahead of Sunday’s Premier League visit to Tottenham Hotspur.
“It’s not part of my vocabulary and I don’t see it like this because I don’t think anybody wants to do that as an intention,” Arteta told reporters on Friday, when asked about the term being used regarding their latest wobble in the title race.
“That’s individual opinion, perspective. You have to respect that. That’s what I said after in the press conference. You lose two points against Wolves in the manner that the game played out, you have to take it on the chin. It’s part of our role.”
“What I’m very interested in is the next one, what we are made of, what we love about this and how we write our own destiny from here.”
‘No time to find excuses’
Tottenham Hotspur’s new interim head coach Tudor says instilling the players with confidence is his most urgent task.
“First priority is to give everything the team needs in these moments. The team need, I believe, first of all, to get some confidence, to get some courage, but also, in same way, the concrete things in the pitch,” Tudor told Spursplay.
“Of course, I’m coming here knowing that situation is not easy. There is no time to find excuses. What I said from the first day here, each of us, need to give something more, something extra.”
He added: “The position of the club in this moment is one that nobody can accept. Every Tottenham fan cannot accept the situation. We are aware of that. But it’s not enough to just be aware of that.”
The 47-year-old former Juventus coach Igor Tudor has been brought in until the end of the season [File: AFP]
Tudor wants a team prepared to ‘suffer’
While Tudor is aware of the significance of a derby win over Arsenal, he is more concerned with building a strong team spirit to help fuel their survival bid.
“I understand the importance of this game. This is a derby, a north London derby,” he said.
“This is a team that is full of quality, full of talented players, with good motor engines. But my goal in these first training sessions is that we become a team, with a really right way of going to war.
“A team who want to suffer. To fight, to run, to have the right mentality. This is the start.”
Head-to-head
Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal have locked horns on 212 occasions; Arsenal won 90 of the games, while Spurs won 67, and 55 were draws.
Arsenal are now unbeaten against Spurs in their last seven games. Earlier this season, Eberechi Eze scored a hat-trick in November as the Gunners thrashed Tottenham 4-1 at the Emirates.
Arteta’s side also did the double over their bitter local rivals in 2024-25, winning 1-0 at Tottenham and earning a 2-1 victory at home.
Tottenham’s team news
Spurs were dealt a big blow when promising young winger Wilson Odobert ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament against Newcastle.
He joins a long injury list of players who will miss the derby, including James Maddison, Ben Davies, Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur, Mohammed Kudus, Destiny Udogie, Kevin Danso and Lucas Bergvall.
Cristian Romero will serve the second of his four-game suspension after the Spurs captain was sent off in the defeat to Man United earlier this month.
Brazilian forward Richarlison is back in training after a knock and could be available for selection, while Pedro Porro faces a late fitness test as he looks to return from injury.
Predicted starting XI:
Vicario (GK); Palhinha, Dragusin, Van de Ven; Gray, Gallagher, Sarr, Spence; Kolo Muani, Simons; Solanke
Arsenal’s team news
Versatile midfielder Mikel Merino has undergone surgery for a stress fracture in his right foot, an injury sustained in January, and could miss the rest of the season.
Leandro Trossard is a serious doubt for the derby after he went off injured in stoppage time against the Wolves.
But Arteya has said he hopes to have captain Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz available for selection after they were struggling with injuries, and youngster Max Dowman has returned to training after an ankle problem.
And while Saka also limped off against Wolves, he is expected to be declared fit for this match.
Tudor has been out of work since being sacked by Juventus in October 2025 and is set for his first spell in England, after previously taking charge of clubs in Italy, France, Turkey, Croatia and Greece.
He is tasked, first and foremost, with easing Tottenham‘s relegation fears, after a 2-1 loss to Newcastle in Thomas Frank’s final match on Tuesday left them five points above the bottom three.
Having earned a reputation as a no-nonsense defender during a playing career in which he won 55 caps for Croatia and made more than 150 appearances for Italian giants Juventus, there is one certain non-negotiable for Tudor as a manager.
“He asks his players to run a lot. In a previous interview he said ‘If you don’t run, you don’t play’,” says L’Equipe journalist Pierre-Etienne Minonzio.
“In his one season in Marseille it was always the same way of playing – 3-5-2 – and it was great to watch.
“It was not easy because Marseille’s best player was Dimitri Payet, a very gifted player but not well-known for running, and he didn’t play.
“It was a joke in L’Equipe – if Igor Tudor had Lionel Messi in his squad, Messi would not play!”
Tudor’s sole season in France saw Marseille finish third behind Paris St-Germain and Lens, despite surpassing the club’s points total from the previous campaign when they finished second.
“He did pretty well in Ligue 1. What I liked is that he doesn’t try to be liked. He is very direct, says what he thinks and doesn’t try to be attractive. There is no seduction,” says Minonzio.
“It is the same with the players. He keeps his distance and his obsession is to make training intense with a lot of running so they can be physically fit for the game.”
Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has been sacked by Spurs after just under eight months in charge.
While the higher ups at Spurs focus on finding Frank’s replacement, we thought we’d test your knowledge by looking at those head coaches who have come before.
Can you name the past 10 permanent Tottenham managers? Good luck!
Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes score for United while Spurs captain Christian Romero sees red for a wild challenge.
Manchester United profited from Tottenham captain Cristian Romero’s red card to stretch their perfect start under Michael Carrick to four games, with a 2-0 win at Old Trafford in the Premier League.
Goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes on Saturday ended an eight-game winless run against Spurs for the Red Devils, who cemented their position in the Premier League’s top four.
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United close to within two points of third-placed Aston Villa and open up a five-point cushion over Liverpool in sixth.
A place in the top five is likely to secure a spot in next season’s Champions League due to the strong performance of English sides in European competition.
Spurs’ hopes of qualifying for the Champions League through their league position have long since disappeared, as another damaging defeat for Thomas Frank leaves Tottenham in 14th.
But there could be lasting consequences for Romero after his ill-discipline cost his side just days after a social media outburst aimed at the club’s hierarchy.
Frank said the Argentinian international had been “dealt with internally” after he described Tottenham’s threadbare squad as “disgraceful” following the closure of the transfer window.
Romero’s future as skipper had already been called into question, and the 27-year-old will now be suspended for four matches after his second red card of the season and sixth of his Spurs career.
The centre-back lunged in to catch Casemiro on the ankle on 29 minutes after playing himself into trouble just outside the Tottenham box.
Romero is sent off after a wild challenge on Casemiro [Phil Noble/Reuters]
United had been the better side during the opening half hour, even against 11 men, and made their numerical advantage count.
Mbeumo stroked into the bottom corner for his third goal in four games since Carrick took charge, after a clever corner involving Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo freed the Cameroon international at the edge of the box.
Amad Diallo and Matheus Cunha had goals ruled out for offside as the home side dominated but had to wait until nine minutes from time to make the points safe.
Fernandes showed Romero how to lead from the front with another fine individual display.
The United captain prodded in Diogo Dalot’s cross at the back post for his 200th goal or assist in 314 games for the club.
Carrick said before the game that United cannot afford to rush their choice of a new permanent manager.
But the former midfielder, who enjoyed a stellar playing career at Old Trafford, is making his case for that job as he continues overseeing United’s stunning turnaround in fortunes since the departure of Ruben Amorim last month.
Fernandes had plenty of praise for Carrick in a post-match interview with TNT Sports.
“The energy is different because we are winning games and when you win games, everything is brighter,” Fernandes said.
“Michael came in with the right idea of giving the players more responsibility and freedom to make decisions on the pitch. I was always sure Michael could be a great manager, and he is showing that.”
Meanwhile, it is now two Premier League wins in 16 for Frank and his Spurs side.
“I think the first 30 minutes were a good away performance,” Frank told TNT Sports after the game.
“I’m very proud of the players, the resilience, staying in the game, mentality [to] still be a threat at times, to try to create something. Very proud of them.”
Spurs keeper Guglielmo Vicario told TNT Sports that Romero had apologised to his teammates for the sending off.
“Yeah, of course, he’s disappointed, because he knows that this card could have been avoidable, and so he apologised,” he said.
“He made his mistake, but we know the player he is, and he’ll be back for sure, stronger, and he’s going to help us massively.”
Moore’s team-mates created just seven chances between them at Hibs on Sunday.
He registered five alone on Wednesday, while his seven dribbles were also higher than any other player.
Game state has to come into that, of course. At the weekend, Rangers were playing against 11 men, away to a top-six side. Struggling Kilmarnock were a man and a goal down after a few minutes on Wednesday.
A goal-scoring performance from the England youth international in the Old Firm derby win at Celtic last month looked set to ignite his Ibrox career, but seven games without a goal contribution followed.
Despite that, the Ibrox side just appear a livelier and more unpredictable proposition with Moore in the line-up.
A mid-season injury and squad rotation has meant Moore has failed to feature in 12 of Rangers’ 25 league matches, but Rohl is now demanding consistency as his side attempt to reel Hearts in.
“We know Mikey, that should be the level for him again and again,” the Rangers head coach told BBC Scotland.
“This is the next step for him, consistency. But I will not speak about individual performances, it’s about the team.”
Heart of Midlothian manager Derek McInnes believes James Wilson has made a mistake by joining Tottenham Hotspur on loan in a deal that could be made permanent at the end of the season.
Arsenal were in talks with the Scottish Premiership leaders over a move for the 18-year-old but the Scotland striker joined Spurs instead.
Wilson, who became the youngest man to represent Scotland when he came on in their Nations League play-off tie against Greece last March, will play for Spurs’ Under-21s side.
He has scored eight goals in 45 appearances since making his Hearts breakthrough last season but he has struggled for game time this term.
“James wanted to go, so you don’t want to keep a player who then becomes unhappy,” said McInnes.
“I couldn’t guarantee him minutes, such is the way it’s been. I told him and his agent that our preference was to stay, fight for his place, be part of something.
“We’d get him a loan in Scotland if need be, to top his minutes up, and we can maybe recall him – still get the best of both worlds.
Champions League pundits Stephen Warnock, Nedum Onuoha and Julien Lauren discuss Tottenham’s “clinical ability” to score goals away from home and Thomas Frank’s “great achievement” to handle the pressure.
