Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham (Solanke OG 40′, Trossard 44′ | Son 25′)
EMIRATES STADIUM — Arsenal could have picked no better way to end their mini-crisis.
A win over Tottenham Hotspur ensured bragging rights remain their side of the north London divide while also keeping pressure on Liverpool in the battle for the Premier League title. A pair of bruising cup results prompted questions over whether Mikel Arteta‘s project has stalled, but this was a much-improved Arsenal performance.
As for Spurs, this signalled an 11th defeat in the league, one fewer than they managed in the entirety of Ange Postecoglou’s maiden year. There were morsels of comfort, not least the performance of the miraculous Archie Gray, but success is required in the cups to prevent this season from being written off. This defeat could have been a lot worse.
“Our league form is unacceptable, our results are unacceptable and it needs to change,” a downbeat Postecoglou said afterwards.
The visitors withstood intense early pressure to strike first with Son Heung-min’s deflected volley sneaking in past David Raya. It was the South Korean’s eighth Premier League goal in this fixture, a tally only his former strike partner Harry Kane (14) can top.
Arsenal levelled in familiar fashion with Gabriel Magalhaes meeting a corner at the back post and turning a header in off the unfortunate Dominic Solanke. Within four minutes, Leandro Trossard had completed the turnaround.
North London derbies under the floodlights are rare and the crowd made the most of a rare treat by filling the Emirates with a noise that made the senses tingle.
A youthful Tottenham team – the average age of their keeper and two centre-backs was just over 20 – were unnerved by it as Arsenal stamped their authority like an older sibling forcing their younger one to play the game they wanted.
For a spell, the halfway line was a forcefield preventing any player into Arsenal’s half. Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Declan Rice spoke of his team’s “pure domination” in the first-half and they began like a side with a point to prove following recent slips against Brighton, Newcastle and Manchester United.
Predictably they looked to test Premier League debutant Antonin Kinsky’s handling and mettle early on, racking up four corners in the opening 10 minutes. The young Czech had a tough night, twice almost losing the ball to Kai Havertz in his own defensive third in the first 20 minutes.
Spurs were caged in, but when they did manage to escape they attacked at speed and with intent.
Djed Spence’s spiralled Trivela cross to the back post was Gabriel’s big toe away from meeting an onrushing Solanke, before Raya denied Dejan Kulusevski from the resulting corner after the Swede had superbly slunk away from Rice.
It was a temporary reprieve for the Gunners who conceded from another set-piece a few minutes later.
A looping clearance dropped out of the sky towards Son who watched it carefully onto his instep and controlled a volley low into the side netting with the aid of a deflection off Thomas Partey. Arsenal’s vulnerability from corners was matched by Spurs.
Fifteen minutes after Son’s opener Arsenal equalised via the same method, benefiting from two strokes of luck along the way.
Trossard’s attempted cross ricocheted back off him via Pedro Porro’s shins but a corner was given and Gabriel’s header back across goal from the kick went in off Solanke’s midriff. There was nothing fortunate about Rice’s delivery, though, which was typically pinpoint.
It was a tough moment for Kinsky who found himself caught underneath the searching, swirling high ball but worse was to come. A Trossard arrow was struck with accuracy and venom, but flew at a good height for the keeper who allowed it to slip through like a bar of soap.
A one-goal deficit was hardly as ruinous as Postecoglou’s half-time substitutions suggested. Off came holding midfielder Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr with James Maddison and Brennan Johnson flung on. Control sacrificed for chaos. Ange gonna Ange until the end.
It felt at the time as though the changes would prove either to be a masterstroke or a catastrophe and as Arsenal ripped through a patched-up midfield it felt much more like the latter.
Player of the match
Declan Rice: Set up Arsenal’s equaliser and dominated the midfield with driving runs at the heart of the Spurs defence.
The home side sensed an opportunity but Havertz couldn’t take either of his, planting one header wide and another into Kinsky’s gloves as Arsenal generated chances.
With Arsenal hunting a clincher and Spurs searching for an equaliser, the final 20 minutes became frenzied and fraught. A Rice thumper bounced off Kinsky with Martin Odegaard’s follow-up drawing a more conventional stop. The Norwegian missed a sitter to wrap it up and Porro lashed the post from an acute angle.
Despite their missed chances, Arsenal held firm to earn a win that injected optimism into their season after a tough week. They were convincing winners and while there will be some frustration that the margin of victory was not greater, this was a display that will make Liverpool wary.
For Spurs, though the long road to recovery still awaits.
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