Arsenal were able to retain their spot at the top of the Premier League after beating Tottenham 3-1 in the north London derby. Mikel Arteta’s side put an end to Tottenham’s unbeaten start to the campaign,
with their intensity and flair causing their fierce rivals plenty of issues.
Granit Xhaka capped off Arsenal’s impressive performance with his goal in the 67th minute,
capitalising on Tottenham’s lack of shape after
Arsenal – Tottenham Hotspur Played on 10/01/ 2022
Emerson Royal was sent off moments earlier for a dangerous tackle on Gabriel Martinelli. The right-back appeared to run his studs down the back of the winger,
despite being deep in the Arsenal half.
Former Manchester City star Gabriel Jesus had put Arsenal ahead early in the second half,
scrambling home from close range in the 49th minute to capitalise on a poor mistake from Hugo Lloris,
his fifth goal of the campaign. His side had taken the lead initially through Thomas Partey in the 20th minute – who had been an injury doubt before the game
– when the Ghanian whipped a curling effort into the top corner from outside of the box.
But Arsenal’s lead lasted just 11 minutes as Harry Kane
continued his rich vein of form from the penalty spot,
slotting the ball past Aaron Ramsdale after Gabriel brought down his Brazil team-mate Richarlison inside the box. The Gunners claiming bragging rights will give their side a major confidence boost heading into a busy October,
here’s what we learned from the north London derby.
Against Leicester,
before the international break,
Tottenham flourished after Yves Bissouma
entered the fray and formed a three-man midfield – and Conte may regret not starting the Malian against Spurs.
The Italian is set on his 3-4-3 formation, though it is preventing his side from getting a firm grip on matches against top sides.
Arteta certainly anticipated the Spurs set-up,
opting to play Oleksandr Zinchenko over Kieran Tierney
in left-back knowing that he will step inside to give Arsenal a 4 v 2 in the centre of the park.
Ben White, too,
came inside when required – and Conte may need to reconsider his plans going forward and taking on other ‘Big Six’ sides th at like to dominate the midfield.
The 3-1 win ensures Arsenal have now won seven of their eight league games this season and remain top of the Premier League,
four points above Manchester City, who play tomorrow.
For Tottenham,
the Emirates defeat not only ends the club’s unbeaten record but also their hopes of equalling their longest unbeaten run set under Mauricio Pochettino.
Thomas Partey’s spectacular goal gave the Gunners the advantage in the first half of the season’s first north London derby,
but Harry Kane’s penalty gave Tottenham the advantage at the break.
Hugo Lloris made a mistake,
which Gabriel Jesus took advantage of to score his first derby goal, and Granit Xhaka added a third to put the game away for Arsenal in the opening 20 minutes of the second half.
Emerson Royal of Tottenham was given a straight red card for a late tackle on Gabriel Martinelli before Arsenal’s final goal.
Thomas Partey’s spectacular goal gave the Gunners the advantage in the first half of the season’s first north London derby,
but Harry Kane’s penalty gave Tottenham the advantage at the break.
Hugo Lloris made a mistake,
which Gabriel Jesus took advantage of to score his first derby goal,
and Granit Xhaka added a third to put the game away for Arsenal in the opening 20 minutes of the second half.
Emerson Royal of Tottenham was given a straight red card
for a late tackle on Gabriel Martinelli before Arsenal’s final goal.
Match Report: Arsenal stay top with derby win as Tottenham self-destruct
Arsenal meted out their usual punishment to north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium with goals by Thomas Partey,
Gabriel Jesus and Granit Xhaka sealing a 3-1 win to keep them top of the Premier League on Saturday. Harry Kane’s leveller for Tottenham saw him set yet more scoring records,
but his side self-destructed after halftime as their 12-year wait for a league win in the derby continued.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have now won seven of their opening eight games and lead the standings by four points with second-placed Manchester City
facing Manchester United on Sunday.
Arsenal and Tottenham are separated by just one point at the top of the Premier League table as they go head-to-head
in the first north London derby of the season this afternoon. Mikel Arteta’s Gunners
sit top of the league with 18 points whilst Antonio Conte’s Spurs are two places back in third.
In their last match before the international break
Tottenham despatched Leicester 6-2 with Son Heung-min finally hitting
form with a second half hat-trick from off the bench to seal the victory for Spurs.
Arsenal are also in fine touch and they ended the opening spell of the season with a 3-0 win away at Brentford.
Today’s encounter is set to be a furious clash between two teams on the top of their game. Arsenal have only lost once in their league campaign so far – a 3-1 defeat
to Manchester United at Old Trafford – whilst Tottenham are unbeaten with five wins and two draws from their first seven fixtures. Will the Gunners end Spurs’ unbeaten run and remain top of the Premier League table?
