Pain in the Arsenal
Fansided

Arsenal Vs Spurs: 5 things we learned – Mustafi madness

By Andrew Dowdeswell

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 02: Hugo Lloris of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates with teammates after saving a penalty whilst Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal looks dejected during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal FC at Wembley Stadium on March 02, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 02: Hugo Lloris of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates with teammates after saving a penalty whilst Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal looks dejected during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal FC at Wembley Stadium on March 02, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 02: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur battles for possession with Laurent Koscielny of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal FC at Wembley Stadium on March 02, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 02: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur battles for possession with Laurent Koscielny of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal FC at Wembley Stadium on March 02, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /

4. Koscielny, Sokratis immense

If there were any players that are deserving of special mention for their performances, it is the two centre-halves, Laurent Koscielny and Sokratis. The pair have established themselves as the starting duo in recent weeks and they showed exactly why here. They were magnificent.

Up against Harry Kane, one of the best centre-forwards in the world, and an in-form Son Heung-min, they marshalled the Spurs attacks brilliantly. They won aerial duels from long clearances, they tackling was sure and aggressive, though never rash and over-eager, and their collective positioning was excellent, rarely allowing themselves to get dragged apart.

Sokratis was named the official Man of the Match. Those awards don’t really mean anything, but it is a clear illustration of the standout nature of the Greek’s display. He seems to revel in these matches, pumped up with real fire and ferocity, celebrating every tackle as he would have done had Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored his last-gasp penalty. Both Koscielny and Sokratis were at their best here.