itstargetnews
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 side suffered defeats against Newcastle and Manchester United in north London in previous outings, but the Gunners responded by picking up three crucial points against their fierce rivals.
January’s midweek encounter 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 Spurs.
How the game unfolded
The hosts were eager to put on a pre-match show, and support was shown for Gabriel Jesus, who Undergoing knee surgery Tore his ACL over the weekend. There was an energy inside the Emirates that has failed to be seen in recent outings, and Mikel Arteta’s side thrived in the early stages.
As in fixtures here last season, Arsenal dominated territorially and stifled Tottenham’s build-up. Antonin Kinski’s coolness in possession was tested by the Gunners’ intensity, and the young goalkeeper was almost caught out on two occasions.
Armory Spurs were able to pick apart the midfield and have their way with their north London rivals, but an early barrage of set-pieces failed to return the opener. Leandro Trossard came closest after Declan Rice overloaded Pedro Porro at the back post and teed up the Belgian, but his effort was blocked by Radu Dragusin.
After camping in their own third for the opening 20 minutes, Tottenham finally survived thanks to the additions of DJ Spence and Pep Sir. The former created a good chance for Dominic Solanke with a superb Trivela cross but Gabriel was on hand to expertly keep out the English forward. Dejan Kulusevski saved a shot from the resulting corner before Son Heung-min found the back of the net off a William Saliba deflection to put the visitors 1-0 up.
Leads are often precarious in this match, and Arsenal’s set-piece superiority was revealed again as a wicked Declan Rice delivery was bundled into the Spurs net by Solanke after Gabriel challenged at the back post.
Arsenal’s turnaround was complete before half-time as Leandro Trossard scored his first goal since late November. The Gunners have rarely enjoyed high turnovers this season, but Trossard made Yves Bissoma pay by firing emphatically over Kinski’s left-hand glove.
Ange Postecoglou Certainly not keen on a slow death at the Emirates as they brought off James Maddison and Brennan Johnson at half-time in favor of Bissoma and Sir. Bergwal moved to the base of the midfield. Immediately, the Spurs were able to turn a football match into a game seen across the pond. There was a sense of basketball at the start of the second half, although neither side was able to get clear chances despite getting into promising positions.
Arsenal regained control after the hour mark with the visitors, Maddison and Kulusevski forced to defend as teenager Bergwall struggled to go close and was placed precariously ahead. The Gunners made the pitch bigger and slowed the tempo. Spurs had moments of transition against a team that played 120 minutes on Sunday, but Arsenal proved stubborn when they settled into their defensive blocks.
There was plenty of cheerleading from the hosts in the closing stages as they looked to maintain their advantage, ensuring another toothless performance in the final third. Spurs‘ The loss was only one. The visitors, however, could not make it against the league’s toughest defence, winning 2–1.
Check out the player ratings for Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham here.
Liverpool performed brilliantly Second half at Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night, but they could only manage a point thanks to some brilliant work between the sticks from Matz Sels. The draw wasn’t a terrible result for the Reds given Forest’s form, but it opened the door for Arsenal.
So far this season, none of the Reds’ slip-ups, of which there have been a few, have been capitalized on by Arteta’s side. After Liverpool drew at Newcastle on 4 December, Arsenal failed to win at Fulham four days later. They were by Everton in Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with the Cottagers the same afternoon. Arne Slott’s side also faced Manchester United two weeks ago when the Gunners picked up a point at Brighton.
This time, however, Arsenal seized the opening. Disappointment has gripped the north London half after back-to-back defeats in the domestic cup, but they are still unbeaten in the Premier League since November 2 and are now just four points behind the league leaders.
Liverpool’s game at Everton next month is out of hand. The title race isn’t dead yet, folks!
Thomas Tuchel was in attendance Wednesday night, and England manager The two must have been impressed with the left-back’s performance.
Ironically, neither is left by trade. Djed Spence stepped into the second tier on the opposite side, while Myles Lewis-Skelley usually dominated the middle of the park for Arsenal’s youth teams.
Spence was forced into an unfamiliar role by an injury to Destinee Udogi, but Arteta has recognized Lewis-Skelley as more than just a cover option for the injured Riccardo Calafiori, who missed Wednesday again with a muscular problem.
The pair were among their respective teams’ standout performers in the derby, both showing impressive composure when put into difficult situations. While Lewis-Skelley has a Moussa Dembele-like press resistance, Spence is a specialist combiner with quick pace.
Neither has shown any fear, and both should be considered by Tuchel for March’s internationals. There is a dearth of top-quality English left-backs (although Lewis Hall is having a great season. Record equal Newcastle United), and although Spence and Lewis-Skelley prefer to alternate roles, their current work may be their best foray into the England set-up.
A 2-2 draw in this fixture last season marked an upturn in Tottenham’s fortunes at the Emirates and a sign that Spurs are heading in the right direction with their idealistic Australian manager at the helm.
Since September 2023 the mood in the Lilywhite Quarters has changed significantly, with many doubting Postecoglou’s ability to oversee a sustainable rebuilding. The Tottenham boss has yet to face another Injury emergency And we shouldn’t overlook the amount of fitness issues plaguing the visitors as we get used to their makeshift defense over the last month.
Despite their recent indolence and the absence of Bukayo Saka, Arsenal were huge pre-match favorites and we’ve seen better Tottenham teams fare worse in this environment.
Wednesday’s defeat means Spurs have yet to win a Premier League match at the Emirates since November 2010. Pre-match expectations were low, and the table currently makes for dire reading. However, Ange has taken some credit for Tottenham’s ‘success’ in the Cup this term, and believes things will improve once he gets his defenders back.
it is.
