Arsenal set out to battle against their arch nemesis Tottenham on their turf and edged past them by 1-0. The Gunners’ had a depleted squad missing services of captain Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice.
Mikel Arteta’s men have now registered three consecutive wins at the Spurs’ fortress.
Brazilian wall Gabriel leaped over a helpless Cuti Romero, scoring a brilliant header past Vicario. This is a huge win, which has put them right on the heels of defenders Man City.
It was a tight game from the neutrals point of view, but the Gunners’ scraped out somehow. Spurs dominated the possession and won the midfield battle as expected.
The Gunners’ were never going to play possession based football without the likes of Odegaard and Rice. However, Partey and Jorginho were able to resist the pressure.
Mikel Arteta now becomes the first ever Arsenal manager to win three consecutive away games against Tottenham.
The 42-year old praised his team for showing “hunger” and determination against their rivals. Speaking to Sky Sports following the game, he says;
“We had to adapt the plan a little bit because of the players that we had available. And I love it because since the day that we have started to get bad news, the team got hungrier and hungrier to play the game. And that’s a big compliment to everybody at the club.”
Arsenal player ratings in the Derby
We will take a look at the player and manager ratings of Arsenal as they scraped past Tottenham in the heated clash.
Goalkeeper and Defence:
David Raya (7.5/10):
Excellent with his ball distribution and awareness inside the box. Saved two chances early in the game. Good outing for the Spaniard.
Ben White (8/10):
Excellent defensive display from the Englishman. Gave Son Heung Min no breathing space at all.
William Saliba (8/10):
Proved why he is one of the best defenders in the league right now. Defensive rock for Arsenal. Did not let a single opponent pass under his supervision.
Gabriel Magalhaes POTM* (9/10):
Saliba’s partner in crime. Massive display from the Brazilian under pressure. His bullet header proved to be the difference between the sides.
Jurrien Timber (8.5/10):
Arsenal’s fullback position seems to be in safe hands. Excellent performance by the Dutchman, cut out all the attacks from the Spurs’ right wing.
Midfield:
Jorginho (8/10):
In the absence of Rice, held his end brilliantly. Partnered with Partey, they choked the opposition midfield.
Thomas Partey (8.5/10):
One of the best redemptions this season is Thomas Partey. Excellent in possession and defensively a rock. Arsenal have got their own Kante.
Kai Havertz (6.5/10):
The former Chelsea striker was deployed as a midfielder due to the absence of Odegaard. He did his job, dropping deep and linking up with the Gunners’ forwards.
Attack:
Bukayo Saka (8.5/10):
He has provided G/A in all the games he’s played for the Gunners’ so far. He was looking dangerous, causing the Spurs’ defenders a lot of trouble on the break.
Leandro Trossard (6/10):
A rather quiet evening for the Belgian, as the Gunners’ were too pragmatic. Linked up well with the midfielders dropping deep.
Gabriel Martinelli (7/10):
Caused a lot of trouble to Pedro Porro on the break. He took on the defenders making it tricky to defend him. Could’ve had an assist too.
Substitutes:
Raheem Sterling (4/10):
Did not get enough minutes, but failed to impact. Didn’t link up well enough with his teammates.
Ethan Nwaneri (5/10):
The teenager came on in the final minutes and didn’t get too many touches.
Gabriel Jesus (4/10):
Came on as a substitutes and couldn’t impact the game with the time he got. However, it’s a great news that he’s finally back fit.
Manager:
Mikel Arteta (8.5/10):
With seven senior players out because of injuries and suspension it was a brilliant job from Mikel Arteta. He had to be pragmatic to gain the upper hand in this contest.
His team did not let him down, as they defended like warriors. One could see the passion in the Arsenal players against Spurs. It was by far one of the biggest challenges he has faced so far in his career, and he aced it.
Massive three points for the Gunners’.
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