Premier League Issues Clarification on Eberechi Eze’s Goal in Arsenal vs Tottenham Clash

Arsenal seized control of the first North London derby of the 2025/26 season thanks to first-half goals from Leandro Trossard and Eberechi Eze. However, Eze’s strike in the 41st minute immediately sparked debate, with many believing it should have been ruled out because Guglielmo Vicario’s view appeared to be blocked by several Arsenal players. The Premier League has now explained why the goal stood.

After a slow opening half-hour, Arsenal broke the deadlock when Mikel Merino lifted a clever ball into Trossard, who finished first time in the 36th minute. Just moments later, Eze — who had turned down a move to Tottenham in the summer — doubled the lead. Declan Rice picked him out, and he weaved past two Spurs defenders before firing a low shot through a crowded box. Questions were raised about potential interference, as both Trossard and Martin Zubimendi seemed to be in Vicario’s line of sight.

Despite the concerns, the Premier League Match Centre later announced on X that referee Michael Oliver’s decision had been reviewed by VAR and upheld. Officials concluded that no Arsenal player was actually blocking Vicario’s view, meaning the goal was valid. Vicario argued he had been unsighted, and Gary Neville noted his protests on commentary, but VAR ultimately dismissed any grounds to overturn the decision.

At half-time, Spurs icon Les Ferdinand — appearing with Thierry Henry and Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports — admitted he was surprised the goal wasn’t disallowed, given the impact on Vicario’s visibility. The incident has also drawn comparisons to Virgil van Dijk’s disallowed header against Manchester City earlier this month, where Andy Robertson was judged to be obstructing Gianluigi Donnarumma. In that case, the Premier League confirmed the offside call because Robertson was deemed to be making an obvious action in the goalkeeper’s eyeline.