Arsenal continued their dominance in the North London Derby, securing another victory over Tottenham Hotspur. The Gunners extended their unbeaten streak against their rivals, following up on a September draw and a May win last season.
This weekend's game saw plenty of chances for the Spurs, with big opportunities missed by both Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski. The Gunners had a fair share of shots before their eventual goal: most notably Gabriel Martinelli in the first 20 minutes.
But it was Mikel Arteta's men who left the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with the win, heads held high, and disappointment for Spurs for the second game running.
Story of the game:
Following an international break that saw injury woes for Arsenal with both Martin Odegaard and Riccardo Calafiori sidelined, Jorginho stepped into one vacant center midfield slot. A suspended Declan Rice saw Leandro Trossard slot into the other.
Gabriel Martinelli also returned for the Gunners, having been dropped in the game prior for Trossard.
Tottenham named four changes to their side that lost 2-1 to Newcastle, with the most notable change being a now-fit Dominic Solanke reclaiming his place as the starting striker.
A revamped midfield of Rodrigo Bentancur, James Maddison, and Dejan Kulusevski proposed an extremely attacking intent to the Spurs' game. Welshman Brennan Johnson would also slot into the team as the right-sided winger.
Despite the result, it was the Spurs who started the game as the better-looking side. The first quarter of an hour would see strong chances for the home side, with a Kulusevski shot in the fifth minute being saved by Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya after the Swedish winger latched on to a pass from teammate Son Hueng-Min.
A mere ten minutes later would see another chance for Tottenham, as Arsenal would give the ball away in their own third thanks to a misplaced pass from Ben White. Solanke would pick up the ball in the box, but could not get the shot off in time and the game remained goalless.
Fans would be disappointed next, as winger Martinelli beat his man Pedro Porro in a one-on-one and found himself through on goal, only to shoot the ball directly into keeper Guglielmo Vicario's hands.
Another big chance went amiss for Solanke when a Maddison cross connected well with the head of the Spurs striker. However, the ball went wide of the net yet again for the Englishman.
The 35th minute would see tempers flare after a challenge from Timber on Porro which saw the Dutchman aggressively bounce the Spaniard to the ground, only to continue into the Spurs box and be met by an agitated Vicario.
This sparked a tussle between the two which resulted in a congregation of players from both sides gathering, with shoves and angry faces prominent. This incident resulted in both a card for Timber and Vicario and marked yellow cards number four and five of the first half.
The first 45 minutes featured a total of seven yellow cards, setting a joint record in a lively North London Derby that lived up to the high expectations of both sets of fans. However, no goals had been scored yet.
"Spurs will feel frustrated not to have made their fast start count. They had Arsenal under the cosh for a period."
Sky Sports journalist Nick Wright on Tottenham's first-half performance.
The second half of the game would follow a similar theme to the first. The Spurs once again started strong. A great opportunity arose after Kulusevski took a short corner and found Maddison. Maddison then whipped the ball into the box, where it was met by Micky Van De Ven. However, Van De Ven's shot was comfortably saved by a diving Raya.
64th minute would mark the point where the derby's deadlock was broken. A well-taken cross from Bukayo Saka via a corner would find the head of a leaping Gabriel in a sea of disarrayed Spurs players, smashing the ball past a starstruck Vicario.
Following the goal, an aura of staleness started to perpetuate as both teams struggled to create any real opportunities.
A chance would come in the form of substitute Wilson Odobert, who sets up Maddison for a shot. However, the midfielder is indecisive and passes the ball directly to the opposition.
It was two long shots that posed the biggest threat to Arsenal in the final moments of the game. In the 82nd minute, Pape Matar Sarr's shot flew wide of the post. In extra time, Kulusevski's attempt worried Raya slightly but was still off target.
After a shaky performance from both sides, it would be the Gunners celebrating as a solid defensive performance from the away side proved key, especially after the goal was scored.
"There is areas we need to improve on, and it is my job to fill those gaps as quickly as possible."
Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou in the post-match press conference on his own responsibility in the defeat.
VAVEL USA's Man of the Match
Gabriel Magalhães. The commanding center-back was vital on both ends of the pitch. His goal proved to be the match-winner, while his defensive contributions were equally impressive. He dominated ground duels, winning two out of three, and made a crucial eight clearances. Additionally, he blocked two shots, demonstrating his ability to neutralize opposing attacks.
It was also another strong performance in the net for David Raya, while Tottenham fans will not be too displeased with the efforts of Micky Van De Ven, who has shown to be a crucial part of Ange Postecoglou's system.
"I think the way he has evolved, first of all as a person, and then on his role at the club, at the team has been phenomenal."
Arsenal's Mikel Arteta on Gabriel's growth as a player while at the club.
What's next?
For Spurs, a third-round Carabao Cup fixture away to Coventry City beckons, as the Lilywhites will be desperate for their first trophy under manager Postecoglou. The game is on Wednesday 18th at 3:00 pm ET / 12:00 pm PT and can be streamed on Paramount+.
It is a Champions League clash in Bergamo against Gian Piero Gasperini's Atalanta next for the Gunners, who will be hoping to leave Italy with three points in the competition's new format. The game will be on Thursday 19th at 3:00 pm ET / 12:00 pm PT and can also be streamed on Paramount+.
