Arsenal came from behind to beat Tottenham 2-1 in the north London derby on Wednesday evening at the Emirates Stadium.
There was a lot of pressure on him Mikel ArtetaNewcastle and Manchester United had surrendered in north London in previous matches, but the Gunners responded by securing a crucial three points against their fiercest rivals.
The midweek match in January was far from a classic, but Arsenal's win meant they finally put some pressure on Premier League leaders Liverpool while heaping more misery on struggling Tottenham.
How the game unfolded
The home side were keen to put on a pre-match display, and there was a show of support for Gabriel Jesus, who is set to feature in the game. Undergoing knee surgery After tearing his ACL over the weekend. There was an energy inside the Emirates Stadium that failed to emerge in recent matches, and Mikel Arteta's side thrived in the early stages.
Just like the game here last season, Arsenal were dominating the area and stifling Spurs' attack. Antonin Kinski's coolness on the ball was tested by Arsenal's intensity, and the young goalkeeper almost evaded the goal on two occasions.
Arsenal They managed to clear Spurs' midfield and claw their way past their north London rivals, but an early barrage of set-pieces failed to answer the opening goal. Leandro Trossard came close to scoring after Declan Rice passed the ball to Pedro Porro at the back post and crossed for the Belgian, but his shot was blocked by Rado Dragosin.
After clouding their own third for the first 20 minutes, Spurs finally broke free thanks to strikes from Jed Spence and Pape Sarr. The former created a good chance for Dominic Solanke with a brilliant cross but Gabriel was on hand to expertly parry the English forward. Dejan Kulusevski blocked a shot from the resulting corner before Son Heung-min scored through a William Saliba deflection to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
Going ahead is often precarious in this game, and Arsenal's superiority at set-pieces was demonstrated once again when Solanke sent a wicked pass from Declan Rice into the Tottenham net after Gabriel's challenge at the back post.
Arsenal's turnaround was complete before half-time as Leandro Trossard scored his first goal since the end of November. The Gunners have rarely been happy with high turnovers this season, but Trossard made Yves Bissouma pay by firing across Kinski's left glove and over him with a brilliant finish.
Angie Postecoglou He certainly wasn't keen on a slow death at the Emirates Stadium as he brought on James Maddison and Brennan Johnson for Bissouma and walked in the first half. Bergvall moved to the base of midfield. Immediately, Tottenham were able to turn the football match into a more popular sport across the pond. There was a sense of basketball at the start of the second half, although neither team was able to create clear-cut chances despite getting into promising positions.
Arsenal's control returned on the hour mark with the visitors forced to defend with Maddison and Kulusevski positioned precariously in front of the youngster Bergvall struggling to get close. The Gunners widened the pitch and slowed the pace of play. Spurs had moments in transition against a team that played 120 minutes on Sunday, but Arsenal proved stubborn once they settled into their defence.
There was plenty of encouragement from the home side in the closing stages as they looked to retain their advantage, with another poor performance in the final third ensuring TottenhamThe deficit was only one. But the visitors were unable to confront the strongest defense in the league, which held on to secure a 2-1 win.
Check out our player ratings for Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham here.
Liverpool gave a great performance in the match Second half at Nottingham Forest Tuesday night, but they could only pick up one point thanks to the great work of Matz Silz. A draw wasn't a bad result for the Reds considering Forest's form, but it opened the door for Arsenal.
So far this season, any slip-up for the Reds, which has been few, has not been exploited by Arteta's side. After Liverpool drew with Newcastle on 4 December, Arsenal failed to beat Fulham four days later. They were drawn with Everton on the same day as Liverpool's 2-2 draw with the Cottagers. Arne Slott's side also faced Manchester United two weeks ago after the Gunners picked up a point at Brighton.
But this time Arsenal succeeded in taking advantage of the opening opportunity. There has been plenty of desperation in the red half of north London following back-to-back defeats in the domestic cups, but they remain unbeaten in the Premier League since November 2 and are now just four points behind the league leaders.
Liverpool's postponed match against Everton next month is not an easy matter. The title race is not dead yet, people!
Thomas Tuchel was present on Wednesday night, and England manager I must have been impressed by the left-back's performance.
Ironically, there is no left-back either. Jed Spence has managed to break into the second tier on the opposite flank, while Myles Lewis Skelly has typically dominated the midfield for Arsenal's youth teams.
Spence has been forced into an unfamiliar role due to an injury to Destiny Udoji, but Arteta has identified Lewis Skelly as more than just a cover option for injury-prone Riccardo Calafiore, who was sidelined again on Wednesday with a muscle problem.
The duo were among the standout players in their side in the derby, with both showing great composure on the ball when put in difficult situations. While Lewis Skelly has the pressing resistance of Moussa Dembélé, Spence is experienced in combining with quick pace.
Neither showed any fear throughout, and Tuchel will have to take them both into account when playing in international matches in March. There is a dearth of quality English left-backs (although Lewis Hall is having an impressive season). Equaling Newcastle United's record), and although Spence and Lewis Skelly prefer substitute roles, their current job may be their best route into the England squad.
The 2-2 draw in this fixture last season represented an uptick in Tottenham's fortunes at the Emirates Stadium and an indication that Tottenham are heading in the right direction with their exemplary Australian coach at the helm.
The public mood in the Lillywhite neighborhoods has changed dramatically since September 2023, with many questioning Postecoglou's ability to oversee a sustainable rebuild. The Tottenham coach had to face another Injury crisis We should not ignore the extent of the visitors' fitness problems simply because we have become accustomed to their temporary defense over the past month.
Despite their recent profligacy and the absence of Bukayo Saka, Arsenal were favorites going into the game and we have seen superior Spurs teams put in much worse performances in this environment.
Wednesday's defeat means Tottenham have not won a Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium since November 2010. Pre-match expectations were low, and the current table makes for bleak reading. However, Ange has some credit for Tottenham's 'success' in the cups this season, and there is a belief that things will improve once they get their defenders back.
It is a must.
