Arsenal defeated their north London rivals Tottenham with an outstanding display at Emirates Stadium on Saturday. The Gunners are now four points clear at the top of the table. Tottenham were reduced to 10 men as they suffered their first defeat of the season.
Arsenal brushed aside Tottenham in a 3-1 win over their north London rivals. This was the seventh win in eight games for Mikel Arteta’s side this season. It gives them a healthy four-point cushion over Manchester City, who face Manchester United in a derby today.
The Gunners started strongly as they looked to take revenge for their 3-0 loss to the Spurs in May. Odegaard and Zinchenko returned to the side after recovering from injury.
Arsenal blew Spurs away
Spurs were mostly pinned back to their own half. However, they did provide a warning as Richarlison’s low shot from a free-kick was blocked by Aaron Ramsdale.
The opener arrived shortly afterwards. Thomas Partey side-footed a perfect finish into the top corner from 25 yards out after the 20th-minute mark.
Partey’s long-range shooting has often been criticized by the supporters. However, this time, he found the net with a sensational effort. This was his 65th effort from outside the box since joining Arsenal.
Spurs kept up their attacks and were fortunate enough to level the score before the break. Xhaka’s bad clearance allowed Richarlison to get to the ball. This led to Gabriel Jesus attempting an ill-timed foul on his fellow Brazilian inside the box.
The referee handed Tottenham the penalty, and Harry Kane made no mistake from the spot. This was Kane’s 100th Premier League goal away from home and 14th goal in 18 derby games.
Just four minutes after half-time, Arsenal were able to get their lead back. Lloris failed to get control of a Bukayo Saka shot, and Cristian Romero was poor at dealing with the loose ball. Gabriel Jesus pounced on the opportunity to give Arsenal the lead.
Spurs were poor on the attack after Arsenal’s second goal. They failed to register a single shot on target in the second half. To make things even worse, Emerson Royal’s reckless challenge on Martinelli prompted the referee to show him a straight red card in the 62nd minute.
Granit Xhaka capitalized on the man-advantage by adding another goal five minutes later. He powered a low effort beyond Lloris from inside the area. The midfielder was once again excellent in his new, more attacking midfield role.
Arteta: We were free, courageous
Mikel Arteta told BT Sport: “From the beginning, we went for it. With amazing support, we created a great energy in the stadium, and we deserved to win the game. We were free, we were courageous, brave, and we went for it. This is what we demand the players to do.”
“Again, Gabriel Jesus’ winning mentality, the way he trains every day, the confidence he brings to the team, he has taken us to a different level.”
“You could feel the connection with the players, the staff, and the crowd. I am so happy because it was a beautiful game, a beautiful day, and we’ve made our supporters very happy.”
Conte: Red card ended the game
Antonio Conte told BT Sport: “I think we had the opportunity to do much better in the first half. Instead, we kept the game in the balance. I think we made big, big mistakes in the last pass, also easy passes.”
“We could do much better (with Arsenal’s second goal), and the red card ended the game, it was difficult for us.”
“Especially after the international break, it is a bit difficult because you don’t have a lot of time to prepare for the game. Now we have to move on because we lost against Arsenal, but we know our role in this league.”
“We have to try to do our best, to try to stay close with the top teams.”
The Gunners are now at the top of the table with a comfortable four-point lead. Tottenham are sitting at the third position, behind Manchester City, after suffering their first loss of the season.
Arsenal will host Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League on Thursday at the Emirates. On the other hand, Tottenham Hotspur will travel to Frankfurt for their Champions League match on Tuesday.
