Arsenal showed what they are made of by thumping Tottenham

 Mikel Arteta hailed his "outstanding" Arsenal side for demonstrating their mettle, as they surged five points clear of Manchester City at the Premier League summit with a dominant victory over Tottenham. The emphatic 4-1 win against their arch-rivals served as a powerful response to recent accusations of faltering in their title bid, a sentiment Arteta admitted had left him feeling "ashamed" after dropping points against Wolves.

Eberechi Eze opened the scoring for the Gunners after 32 minutes, though Spurs briefly drew level through Randal Kolo Muani. However, Viktor Gyokeres swiftly restored Arsenal's advantage just 93 seconds into the second half. Eze then netted his second – and fifth against Tottenham this season – before Gyokeres completed the rout in stoppage time, sealing a comprehensive triumph for the visitors.

Reflecting on the performance, Arteta stated, "It feels like we showed what we are made of. I cannot be prouder of what I’ve seen out there but especially with the context of the way we lived the last 72 hours."

He elaborated on the difficulty of the Wolves draw: "After what happened against Wolves and losing two points with the last kick of the game, it was tough. But that’s the beauty of this game. There was no explanation watching the game back and how the hell we drew that game. From any angle, you say it’s impossible and you have to watch it again and say it’s not going to happen. But it happened and then you have to lift yourself up because you’re feeling angry, upset, and even ashamed. This one is gone and how can we use it to be a turning point and to make ourselves better? And that was the focus, that was the intention today. But you have to live that on the pitch and what we’ve done from the beginning to the end of the match today was outstanding."

Eze, whose move to Arsenal last August reportedly "hijacked" Tottenham's interest, continued his impressive form against Spurs.

Following a hat-trick at the Emirates in November, his two goals in this fixture were pivotal. Arteta commented on the player's motivation: "You just have to look at his face and the way he was in the dressing room with a big smile.

He elaborated on the difficulty of the Wolves draw: "After what happened against Wolves and losing two points with the last kick of the game, it was tough. But that’s the beauty of this game. There was no explanation watching the game back and how the hell we drew that game. From any angle, you say it’s impossible and you have to watch it again and say it’s not going to happen. But it happened and then you have to lift yourself up because you’re feeling angry, upset, and even ashamed. This one is gone and how can we use it to be a turning point and to make ourselves better? And that was the focus, that was the intention today. But you have to live that on the pitch and what we’ve done from the beginning to the end of the match today was outstanding."

Eze, whose move to Arsenal last August reportedly "hijacked" Tottenham's interest, continued his impressive form against Spurs.

Following a hat-trick at the Emirates in November, his two goals in this fixture were pivotal. Arteta commented on the player's motivation: "You just have to look at his face and the way he was in the dressing room with a big smile.

He came here for a reason and we need those moments from these players. I could see that he wanted to prove something. He was upset, even with me, because I didn’t play him against Wolves from the beginning. I just have to understand now how we’re going to get the best out of him."

The defeat leaves Tottenham in a precarious position, just four points above 18th-placed West Ham. Interim manager Igor Tudor, who had expressed "100 per cent confident" in Spurs' Premier League survival before the derby, offered a stark assessment after his first match in charge. "

This was not the perfect team to play – Arsenal are probably the best side in the world at the moment – but in one way we have to see where we need to be, what is our goal and what is our level and today, it was two totally different worlds, I have to be honest. A derby can bring you big motivation but there are other things you cannot change in three or four training sessions. It is impossible. With the ball, a lack of confidence is very evident. There is a reality today and I am very sad and very angry. You have to look in the mirror and really start to change the habits and working hard is the only way.”