3 standout players in Arsenal’s North London derby triumph

While talks of a title charge have been bandied about in an almost ironic manner, Arsenal players have not been quick to dispel them. A triumphant victory against Tottenham has kept Arsenal at the top of the league for another week, with the Gunners taking 21 points from a possible 24.

Much has been made of Arsenal’s “easy” fixture list during that time. Although they stumbled against what has proven to be a resurgent Manchester United side, they have shown incision in attack in every single game, including the away game at Old Trafford. Saturday was merely more of the same.

Arsenal dominated possession, playing their slick expansive football in Tottenham’s defensive third. Buoyed by an energetic Emirates crowd, the players dominated proceedings. The Harry Kane equaliser soiled the clean sheet but offered a tantalising bit of hope to Spurs fans before Arsenal struck back twice in the second half.

3 standout players in Arsenal’s North London derby triumph

From back to front, every Arsenal player played their role to perfection. Certain games are defined by moments and critical moments are decided by world-class players. Here are three standout players from the derby day home win against Tottenham.

3. Granit Xhaka

Rarely has a resurgence like Granit Xhaka’s been seen in world football. From the depths of despair and with one foot out of the door, Xhaka has come on leaps and bounds over the past 12 months. The Swiss’ newfound support is not purely due to sentimentality or unconditional warmth; he has been exceptional every time he starts.

Xhaka is currently enjoying his best start to a season. His new role as a box-to-box midfielder has freed him from some of his defensive responsibilities while allowing him to unleash his underrated technical quality further up the pitch. With so much change in the team around him, he has proven to be a stable, reliable piece that offers control and leadership to those around him.

Against Tottenham, Xhaka did a bit of everything. He interchanged with Oleksandr Zinchenko to unsettle the opposition’s deep block. He controlled the pace of the game with his metronomic passing. He made late runs into the box and got on the end of some accurate crosses in. He certainly could have done better in the build-up to the Kane penalty. A poor first touch ricocheted off of him into the path of the Spurs striker but fortunately, that proved to be a mere footnote in an otherwise sparkling performance. Well done.

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