Ezeshowed his hunger for big moments with a memorable winning goal for Palace in last season’s FA Cup final against Manchester City.

Before Sunday, he had only scored once in the Premier League since joining The Emirates, but he chose the perfect occasion to make his biggest impact in an Arsenal jersey.

The England international netted just before and after halftime with precise finishes from the edge of the box and completed an outstanding performance with another accurate strike past Guglielmo Vicario in the 76th minute.

Arsenal already had plenty of attacking options before Eze joined, but after his hat-trick put his team six points clear on Sunday, manager Mikel Arteta hinted that Eze could become a vital piece in his offensive setup.

"Things happen for a reason. After international duty, he had two days off, but after one day he wanted to train and improve," Arteta told reporters.

"He wanted extra practice and was asking me questions about this and that. When a player has such talent and that level of desire, then good things follow.

"He fully deserves it. I’m so pleased for him because since he arrived, he brought something different to the team. It’s a joy; it’s the energy this team needed."

Following goals for England against Latvia and Serbia in October and November, Eze seems assured of a spot in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad. If he consistently performs at the level he showed against Tottenham , he could head to North America as a Premier League champion.

"Hopefully this will boost confidence for him and the team, showing that he can win us games at any time," Arteta said.

"He has the quality and ability to finish plays in various ways, so we need to position him close to the goal.

"We must utilize his strengths. The more time he spends there, the better it is for the team."

Arsenal entered the international break disappointed after dropping two points away at Sunderland due to a last-minute equalizer.

But Sunday’s dominant win over Tottenham, extending Arsenal’s unbeaten league streak to nine matches, was the ideal reply.

With champions Liverpool's form declining sharply and Manchester City also losing on Saturday, Arsenal appear strong favourites to claim their first Premier League title since 2003-04.

That said, Arteta remains cautious.

"We wanted to regain momentum, and the London derby along with today’s performance is a good start," Arteta said. "In this league, a six-point lead isn’t much.

"We’re doing very well. We’ve been very consistent, and that’s all."