Arsenal came from behind to beat Tottenham 2-1 in the North London Derby at the Emirates on Wednesday night.
There was a lot of pressure Mikel ArtetaThe team succumbed to Newcastle and Manchester United in north London in previous outings, but the Gunners responded by securing three crucial points against their fiercest rivals.
January’s midweek clash was hardly a classic, but Arsenal’s win meant they finally put some pressure on Premier League leaders Liverpool while heaping more misery on struggling Spurs.
How the game developed
The hosts were ready to put on a show before the game, and there was a show of support for Gabriel Jesus, who is set to undergo knee surgery having torn his ACL at the weekend. There was an energy within the Emirates that has failed to show in recent outings, and Mikel Arteta’s side thrived in the early stages.
Just like the game here last season, Arsenal dominated territorially and stifled Tottenham’s formation. Antonin Kinsky’s freshness of possession was tested by the Gunners’ intensity, with the young goalkeeper almost caught out on a couple of occasions.
arsenal they were able to pick apart Spurs’ midfield and get to grips with their north London rivals, but a flurry of set-piece play failed to get an early goal back. Leandro Trossard went closest after Declan Rice overcharged Pedro Porro at the back post and hooked the Belgian, but his effort was blocked by Radu Dragusin.
After being camped in their own third for the first 20 minutes, Tottenham finally broke free thanks to the additions of Djed Spence and Pape Sarr. The former created a good chance for Dominic Solanke with a sublime cross from Trivela, but Gabriel was on hand to keep out the England striker. Dejan Kulusevski saved a shot from the resulting corner before Son Heung-min found the back of the net via William Saliba’s deflection to put the visitors 1-0 up.
The lead is often precarious in this game, and Arsenal’s superiority was shown again when Solanke turned a poor pass from Declan Rice into the Spurs net after Gabriel had challenged at the back post.
Arsenal’s turnaround was completed before the break as Leandro Trossard scored his first goal since the end of November. The Gunners have rarely had joy after high turnovers this season, but Trossard made Yves Bissouma pay by firing through Kinsky’s left glove with a powerful finish.
Ange Postecoglou He was certainly not interested in dying a slow death at the Emirates as he brought on James Maddison and Brennan Johnson in favor of Bissouma and Sarr at the break. Bergvall moved to the base of midfield. Immediately, the Spurs were able to turn the football game into a more watched sport across the pond. There was a sense of basketball at the start of the second half, although neither team could create clear-cut chances despite getting into promising positions.
Arsenal were back in control after the hour mark with the visitors forced to defend as Maddison and Kulusevski positioned themselves precariously in front of teenager Bergvall, struggling to get close. The Gunners made the pitch big and slowed down the pace. Spurs had their moments of transition against a side that played 120 minutes on Sunday, but Arsenal proved stubborn once they settled into their defensive block.
There was plenty of excitement from the hosts in the closing stages as they tried to hold on to their lead, with another toothless performance in the final third. spursThe deficit was only one. The visitors, however, were unable to create against the toughest defense in the league, who held on for a 2-1 win.
Check out Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham player ratings here.
Liverpool performed excellently in the second half at Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night but could only manage a point thanks to some brilliant work between the sticks by Matz Sels. The draw wasn’t a terrible result for the Reds given Forest’s form, but it did open the door for Arsenal.
So far this season, Arteta has not capitalized on any of the Reds’ rejections, of which there have been few. After Liverpool drew at Newcastle on December 4, Arsenal failed to win at Fulham four days later. They were controlled by Everton the same afternoon Liverpool drew 2-2 with the Cottagers. Arne Slot’s side also faced Manchester United two weeks ago after the Gunners picked up a point at Brighton.
This time, however, Arsenal took advantage of the opening. There has been much desperation in the red half of north London after back-to-back defeats in domestic cups, but they remain unbeaten in the Premier League since November 2 and now sit just four points off the league leaders.
Liverpool’s game at Everton next month is no advantage. The title race isn’t dead yet, folks!
Thomas Tuchel was present on Wednesday night, and the England coach He must have been impressed with the performances of the two left backs.
Ironically, neither are left-backs by trade. Djed Spence tore through the second tier on the opposite flank, while Myles Lewis-Skelly was typically dominant in the middle of the park for Arsenal’s youth teams.
Spence has been forced into the unfamiliar role by virtue of Destiny Udogie’s injury, but Arteta has identified Lewis-Skelly as more than just a cover option for injury-prone Riccardo Calafiori, who returned to miss Wednesday due to a muscle problem.
The pair were among the standout performers for their respective teams in the derby, with both showing impressive composure in possession when in tricky situations. While Lewis-Skelly possesses a Mousa Dembele-like resistance to the press, Spence is a skilled combiner with quick pace.
Neither showed any fear throughout, and both must be considered by Tuchel for March’s internationals. There is a dearth of high-quality English left-backs (although Lewis Hall is having an excellent season for Newcastle United, record equal), and while Spence and Lewis-Skelly prefer alternate roles, their current role may be their best route into the England set-up.
The 2-2 draw in this fixture last season represented a boost to Tottenham’s fortunes at the Emirates and an indication that Spurs were heading in the right direction with their idealistic Australian manager in charge.
The mood in the Lilywhite wards has changed considerably since September 2023, with many skeptical of Postecoglou’s ability to oversee a sustainable rebuild. The Tottenham coach had to face another injury crisis and we shouldn’t overlook the volume of fitness problems plaguing the visitors just because we’ve grown accustomed to their makeshift defense over the past month.
Despite their recent nonsense and the absence of Bukayo Saka, Arsenal were heavy favorites before the game and we’ve seen Tottenham’s superior teams produce far worse performances in this environment.
Wednesday’s defeat means Spurs have yet to win a Premier League game at the Emirates since November 2010. Expectations ahead of the game were low and the table currently makes grim reading. Ange, however, takes some credit for Tottenham’s “success” in the cups this term, and there is a belief that things will improve once he gets his defenders back.
It has to be done.
