Arsenal vs Tottenham: 4 talking points from North London Derby win

Arsenal showered north London in a sea of red as Alexandre Lacazette’s penalty secured a 2-1 comeback win over bitter rivals Tottenham in Sunday’s Premier League meeting. Here are the talking points.

Phew. What a rollercoaster 95 minutes of football.

Intriguing before kick-off was how Tottenham would approach the game. They’ll have seen just like the rest of the world that the Gunners have been the victims of their own downfall playing out from the back, thus a more intense press wouldn’t have come out of the blue.

No such plan came into action as Arsenal utterly dominated the first half, seeing all the ball and wreaking havoc down the left hand side with every attack. Emile Smith Rowe came within a whisker of adding numerical value to that control when his fierce effort struck the frame of the goal, before the inevitable happened.

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Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham: 4 talking points as Alexandre Lacazette penalty secures North London spoils

With their first shot of the game, Erik Lamela plucked magic out of the air with a rabona goal to savour (but one that can now hilariously never be savoured since he got sent off and they lost the game).

Martin Odegaard’s deflected effort restored parity just before half-time, the least the home side deserved.

The second half continued in a similar vein as Arsenal kept Spurs at bay with a stranglehold in midfield, even if the winner came in fortuitous fashion. Nicolas Pepe’s zipped ball into Alexandre Lacazette was mishit by the striker, although Michael Oliver opted to punish Davinson Sanchez for his late follow through. Lacazette doesn’t miss penalties.

It was a case of trying to hold on from there, even if Lamela finally received his marching orders for a stray arm in Kieran Tierney’s face. Harry Kane struck the upright with a free-kick and Gabriel cleared off the line in spectacular fashion, but Arsenal held on. What a win.

What a Difference a Few Months Make

Arsenal had control of the ball for large spells of the reverse meeting, producing nothing but hopeful crosses as a result of it.

This time around, it was a similar scenario with Spurs granting their opponents time in possession, challenging the Gunners, almost, to break them down. This was different.

Never laying a glove on them in the 2-0 win, that level of control is worthless without penetration. Tottenham had Arsenal right where they wanted them. On Sunday, Arsenal had Tottenham right where they wanted them.

Harassing the left flank through the magnificent Smith Rowe and Kieran Tierney, they found ways to punish their enemies and create chances off the back of it. Hitting the frame of the goal twice and manufacturing dangerous openings in front of goal, it’s evidence if there ever needed to be any that the improvements many fans claim to be ongoing are not folly. It was many of the same players in both matches but nothing close to the same performance.

Having the technical operators in Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard added what was lacking at the Toilet Bowl. Combining in the half-spaces, creating and using space and adding the penultimate touch in and around the opposition box. This team is not only getting better, it is better.

Left Side of Defence is the Future

Tierney had one of his best games in an Arsenal shirt, just like Gabriel. The pair were outstanding.

It was evident in the build-up that Mikel Arteta had instructed his side to target Spurs’ right flank, firstly as one of either Matt Doherty and Serge Aurier are suspect defending in a back four, and also because it ensured Gareth Bale would have to do most of his work in the defensive third and not in a more advanced position to spring into counter-attacks. It worked brilliantly. Would’ve been more so if Arsenal could convert.

The Scot was outstanding in his work-rate and endeavour, never stopping for breath and covering every blade of grass on that side. In setting up as they did, it meant he could play as an auxiliary winger for most of the match, delivering cross after cross once he skinned Doherty. The cut-back from which Odegaard scored is something he’s been adding to his repertoire of late.

To his right, Gabriel continues to prove that the £23m spent on his signature was daylight robbery. A colossus at the back, his bravery in and out of possession stands out as his finest trait, one that is invaluable to turning over the ball with pace and breaking down opposition attacks. He almost performs the role of a defensive midfielder at times with his sharp thought process.

His list of clutch moments is extended with a win-saving block on the line in the dying embers, at a time where Arsenal were on the ropes. Left-back and left centre-back are as strong as they can be.

Is this…good recruitment? Hats off to Unai and Mikel on those.

Arsenal Need a Goalscorer

In terms of summer plans, a younger, stronger and faster version of Alexandre Lacazette wouldn’t go amiss. Y’know, with the ability to score, too.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is the goalscorer in the side, but having been dropped for tardiness, the mantle was passed to the Frenchman. Unfortunately, he does not have the clinical edge needed to be a reliable No. 9 – he’s practically a No. 9 1/2 anyway.

Well documented is his penchant for dropping deep. In the first half, it’s almost as if someone needed to physically push him 20 yards up the pitch as he couldn’t resist the temptation to drift to the halfway line.

When he was in the box, his finishing let him down considerably. He chased and harried, as he always does since commitment is a stick he can never be beaten with, to no avail. Arsenal very nearly went into half-time losing, which would not have been acceptable.

It’s forgotten since he scored the winner from the spot – his penalty technique is a work of art – but he shanked that pass from Nicolas Pepe dreadfully and got away with the questionable penalty call.

Hats off to him for nerves of steel and another battling outing. However, the summer plans remain as they were.

Diabolical 10 Minutes of Torture

Those final ten minutes were, as Arteta put it:

"“[In the] last ten minutes we did not manage the game and we need to improve on as a team. We relied on luck. With the way we played we should have seen it out comfortably.”"

He stated it was the worst the side have played under him, and he isn’t too far off. It was torturous lunacy from pretty much everyone.

Smith Rowe’s departure coincided with Arsenal’s grip on the game loosening to the point of non-existence, but the same issues and self-destruction began creeping into the game before fully bulldozing onto the pitch. Thomas Partey was perhaps most guilty of all with some extremely sloppy moments on the ball as well as needless fouls conceded, although collectively the terror plainly seeped into the players’ minds.

It’s understandable to a degree. Even without fans this fixture is huge. Add to that the mental block when the opposition are reduced to ten men of feeling like you’re in control, the final ten minutes were expected.

However, none of that is an excuse. The concept of game management was lost on every player barring the back four, with the result being no structure or shape to the team. It’s the only downside on a memorable night. Arteta has to set that right on the training ground as soon as the players are back in London Colney as such laziness will not be acceptable against Olympiacos.

In the mean time, North London is red.