Arsenal came from behind to beat Tottenham 2-1 in the North London derby on Wednesday night at the Emirates.
There was a lot of pressure on Mikel Arteta's side succumbed to Newcastle and Manchester United in north London in previous games, but the Gunners responded by securing three crucial points against their fiercest rivals.
The midweek fixture in January was far from a classic, but Arsenal's victory saw them finally put the pressure on Premier League leaders Liverpool while heaping more misery on struggling Spurs.
How the game played out
The hosts were keen to put on a pre-match show and there was a show of support for Gabriel Jesus, who will undergo knee surgery after tearing his ACL at the weekend. There was an energy within the Emirates which has failed to show in recent outings, and Mikel Arteta's side flourished in the opening stages.
Just like the games here last season, Arsenal were territorially dominant and stifled Tottenham's build-up. Antonin Kinsky's coolness in possession was tested by the Gunners' intensity and the young goalkeeper was almost caught on several occasions.
Arsenal were able to drag down Spurs' midfield and cross paths with their north London rivals, but an early flurry of set-pieces failed to convert an opening. Leandro Trossard went closest after Declan Rice outpaced Pedro Porro at the back post and struck the Belgian but his effort was blocked by Radu Dragusin.
Having been in their third camp for the first 20 minutes, Tottenham finally escaped thanks to surges from Djed Spence and Pape Sarr. The former created a good chance for Dominic Solanke with a sublime trivela cross, but Gabriel was on hand to expertly avoid the England striker. Dejan Kulusevski had a resulting corner saved before Son Heung-min found the net with a deflection from William Saliba to put the visitors 1-0 up.
A lead is often precarious in this game, and Arsenal's lead was shown again when Declan Rice's poor delivery was bundled into the Spurs net by Solanke after Gabriel was challenged at the back post.
Arsenal's comeback was complete before half-time as Leandro Trossard scored his first goal since late November. The Gunners have rarely had joy from high turnovers this season, but Trossard made Yves Bissouma pay by firing against and over Kinsky's left glove with an emphatic finish.
Ange Postecoglou certainly wasn't keen on dying a slow death at the Emirates, as he brought on James Maddison and Brennan Johnson in favor of Bissouma and Sarr in the first half. Bergvall moved to the base of midfield. Immediately, the Spurs were able to turn the game of football into a sport more commonly seen across the pond. There was a sense of basketball at the start of the second half, although neither side was able to create clear-cut chances despite getting into promising positions.
Arsenal's control returned after the hour with the visitors forced to defend as Maddison and Kulusevski were positioned precariously in front of teenager Bergvall, struggling to get close. The Gunners made the field big and slowed down the tempo. Spurs had their moments in transition against a team that played 120 minutes on Sunday, but Arsenal proved stubborn as they settled into their defensive block.
There were plenty of cheers from the hosts in the closing stages as they looked to maintain their advantage, with another toothless performance in the final third ensuring SpursThe deficit was only one. However, the visitors could not create against the toughest defense in the league, which held on for a 2-1 win.
Check out the player ratings for Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham here.
Liverpool performed brilliantly in Second half at Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night but they could only muster a point thanks to some excellent work between the sticks from Matz Sels. A draw wasn't a terrible result for the Reds, given Forest's form, but it opened the door for Arsenal.
So far this season, every slip the Reds have made, of which there have been few, has not 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 held by Everton on the same afternoon that Liverpool drew 2-2 with the Cottagers. Arne Slott's side also faced Manchester United two weeks ago after the Gunners took a point at Brighton.
This time, however, Arsenal grabbed the opening. There has been plenty of despair in the red half of north London following back-to-back domestic cup defeats, but they are still unbeaten in the Premier League since November 2 and are now just four points off the league leaders.
Liverpool's match with Everton next month is not fair. The title race isn't dead yet, folks!
Thomas Tuchel was present on Wednesday night, and England coach must have been impressed with the performances of the two left backs.
Ironically, left backs are not by trade either. Djed Spence broke into the second tier on the opposite wing, while Myles Lewis-Skelly usually dominated the middle of the park for Arsenal's youth teams.
Spence has been forced into the unfamiliar role due to Destiny Udogie's injury, but Arteta has identified Lewis-Skelly as more than just a cover option for injury-prone Riccardo Calafiori, who missed out again on Wednesday with a hamstring injury. muscle problem.
The pair were among the standout players for their respective sides in the derby, with both displaying impressive composure in possession when put into tricky situations. While Lewis-Skelly has resistance to the press similar to Mousa Dembele, Spence is an expert combiner with a quick pace.
Neither showed any fear throughout, and both should be considered by Tuchel for March's internationals. There is a dearth of high-quality English left-backs (although Lewis Hall is having an excellent season for equal record with Newcastle United), and although Spence and Lewis-Skelly prefer alternate roles, their current role may be their best route into the England set-up.
A 2-2 draw in this fixture last season represented a boost to Tottenham's fortunes at the Emirates and an indication that Spurs were heading in the right direction with their idealistic Australian manager in charge.
The mood in Lilywhite's quarters has changed significantly since September 2023, with many skeptical of Postecoglou's capacity to oversee a sustainable rebuild. The Tottenham coach has had to face another injury crisis and we shouldn't overlook the volume of fitness issues plaguing the visitors just because we've grown accustomed to their makeshift defense over the past month.
Despite their recent sloppiness and the absence of Bukayo Saka, Arsenal were huge pre-match favorites and we've seen Tottenham's superior teams perform far worse in this environment.
Wednesday's defeat means Spurs are yet to win a Premier League game at the Emirates since November 2010. Pre-match expectations were low and the table currently makes for grim reading. Ange, however, has taken some credit for Tottenham's 'success' in the cups this season, and there is a belief that things will improve once he gets his defenders back.
It should.