Thomas Frank left stunned after Arsenal humble Tottenham in north London derby

Eberechi Eze marking his first appearance in the fixture with a devastating hat-trick.

Frank featured prominently in the post-match inquest, conceding that his approach "went completely the opposite way" after Spurs' long unbeaten away run in the Premier League came to an abrupt end.

Arsenal controlled every department of the contest with Tottenham never threatening to match Mikel Arteta's men for intensity or imagination.

Tottenham's lone moment of quality came when Richarlison produced a bold 35-yard lob early in the second half, briefly lifting the travelling support but doing little to halt Arsenal's dominance. 

Leandro Trossard had already struck in the 36th minute, before Eze punished Spurs with goals in the 41st, 46th and 76th minutes. The blow carried added sting for Tottenham, who had tried to sign Eze in the summer before Arsenal moved in for a fee in the region of 67 million pounds.

Frank, who deployed a cautious back three and left new signing Xavi Simons on the bench, did not hide from criticism. "It was extremely painful," he said. "A bad performance, completely the opposite of what we planned. We can only apologise to the fans.

"We did not win enough duels and that cost us the second and third goals."

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario echoed that assessment. "A very bad night for us," he said. "We have to apologise to the people who support us every day. They expected a fight and we did not give one. At this level that is not negotiable."

Frank confirmed that he abandoned the 3-5-2 at half-time, shifting into a more aggressive shape, but admitted the problems ran deeper. "I will always take responsibility," he said. "We changed it, but we still did not win enough duels. That has been a theme. We are only five months into this journey under me, and Arsenal are further along. That was clear today."

His arrival in June 2025 brought renewed structure but also familiar questions about creativity, drawing comparisons with previous pragmatic periods at the club.

Former Spurs striker Les Ferdinand described the performance as "embarrassing to watch", though Frank urged calm ahead of Wednesday's Champions League meeting with Paris Saint-Germain. "We lost badly to our biggest rivals," he said, "but we stay focused. I know this team are competitive and we will respond."

Arsenal's emphatic win lifted them six points clear at the top after 12 matches, while Spurs dropped to ninth. By full time the away end had thinned dramatically, a stark reflection of a bruising afternoon in which Eze delivered a derby debut that will be remembered for years to come.

READ MORE: Mikel Arteta praises Arsenal hat-trick hero Eberechi Eze after crushing Tottenham