Facing numerous difficulties including an expensive suspension, injuries, Erling Haaland, and an intense schedule, Arsenal nonetheless displayed their potential for championship-level resilience. To Mikel Arteta’s gratification, Arsenal managed the various challenges. In the wake of conceding points to Brighton, contending with Declan Rice’s disputable red card and dealing with Martin Ødegaard’s injury during international duty, it was now time for a cobbled-together squad to display its strength and unity.
The firmness of central defensive players Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba underpinned this resilience. They headed a formidable final defence, with Arsenal commonly crowding the ball, consequently stifling a Tottenham side which initiated strongly but dwindled in creativity as the game progressed.
Despite Manchester City’s victory on Saturday, marked by a Haaland-created win against Brentford, Arsenal managed to rally. The triumphant echoes of celebration marked their third consecutive victory over their rivals, filmed loud and clear at the culmination of the game.
The pivotal moment held echos of familiarity to it, as two of Arsenal’s goals in the previous season’s 3-2 victory had originated from corner kicks; a significant contribution to Premier League’s record of 22 goals sourced from set-pieces. Bukayo Saka’s corner kick in the second half replicated this past success, causing a troublesome sense of familiarity for Tottenham. With Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario cornered and Arsenal’s recognisable physicality evident, it was Gabriel who seized the opportunity, driving home the header. This triumph marked an auspicious onset to a testing week for Arsenal. Post their Champions League face-off against Atalanta on Thursday, they’re next set to play against City on Sunday.
Spurs experienced nothing but exasperation. Nothing indicates that Ange Postecoglou will back down. It was patently clear how the Spurs’ leader would plan to play, with the opening line-up solidifying his intentions. With James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski playing as attacking midfielders in hopes to pressure from the front, Yves Bissouma’s injury left Rodrigo Bentancur to step up as the Number 6. Yet, they simply couldn’t execute.
The depth and durability of Arteta’s team were put under the microscope that afternoon, leading to a midfield pairing of Jorginho and Thomas Partey with Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard assuming upfront roles. This marked Jorginho’s maiden appearance for the season and only the second time he started with Partey, with the other instance seeing Partey at right back.
With Spurs poised to probe and ever ready to pressurise, Arsenal had to think quickly on their feet. The atmosphere was electric, both electrifying and perilous, in the stadium as well as on the field. The heightened tone, fluid transitions and intense disputes were all par for the course.
When Jurrien Timber’s fierce challenge saw him collide with Pedro Porro, the Spurs were up in arms. Although it seemed Timber had struck the ball’s summit first, a vehement Vicario confronted him and a skirmish ensued. Timber’s booking was the fair result as the tackle did not warrant a red card.
Vicario received a booking for his outburst, along with another four from the Spurs during the first half. Destiny Udogie on Saka and Micky van de Ven on Trossard were among the noteworthy names on the list.
Spurs nearly engineered an initial lead. After receiving a pullback from Son Heung-min Kulusevski took a shot at David Raya, only to almost seize an opportunity following a swift in-swing cross that found its way amidst a crowde area. Raya must have caught sight of it late but nonetheless managed an astounding fingertip save.
Spurs felt frustrated all over again when they pressurised Ben White into making a hasty pass, providing Dominic Solanke with a promising shot. Unfortunately he hesitated and his shot was promptly blocked by Saliba.
Arsenal found their footing and seemed on the edge of success. A moment of frustration seeped in when Gabriel Martinelli efforted a rather lukewarm curler at Vicario following a clear path laid by Trossard from the left inside channel. Prior to that, Spurs’ goalkeeper pulled off a clever save against a towering header from Havertz. The opportunity being set up by Martinelli’s rapid sprint. There was a sense that Arsenal could penetrate the defensive line with their keen manoeuvres.
Mixed within the physical aspects leading into the half-time interval, there were partial, sporadic returns to the actual game of football. Maddison crossed into the depths for Dominic Solanke, whose arched header barely missed the far goalpost. Kulusevski retrieved the ball amidst a throng of players and relayed it to Brennan Johnson who sent it soaring.
The confrontation seemed to pivot around significant challenges won, with the home crowd expressing their admiration for the dedication displayed by their team with Cristian Romero as an evident exemplar. But was quality going to be sacrificed for physicality?
At the opening of the second half, Solanke found himself hemmed in as he lunged for a header. Following a corner, Van de Ven directed another one right at Raya. However, it was a corner at the other end that tipped the scales in favour of Arsenal.
Arsenal seized their victory following an elegant counterattack initiated by Trossard’s volley and underscored by Havertz’s excellent holdup play and a blocked shot from Saka. When Saka delivered the kick, the sea of bodies engulfing Vicario was hard to overlook. His path to the ball was cut off, which was strategically placed by Saka. Gabriel subtly edged into Romero’s back and upon his rise, the imminent was perceived by everyone.
What remained of Spurs’ defence? Barely anything. Despite Postecoglou substituting Maddison for Timo Werner and repositioning Son to a centrally located role, the inevitable was already set into motions. Arsenal emerged unscathed. — Guardian.