Premier League Recap: Arsenal superior in North London Derby
Image Credit: Arsenal.com
LONDON — The Premier League returned last Saturday, and Arsenal brought it back in style as they beat North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur 3-1. Goals from Thomas Partey, Gabriel Jesus, and Granit Xhaka gave Arsenal three vital points in their Premier League campaign.
Coming into this game, it was Arsenal who were boasting in confidence. Manager Mikel Arteta made the decision to bring back important first-team players such as Partey and Kieran Tierney, which paid off immensely. It allowed the manager to field a strong starting XI, possibly his strongest team.
He played a 4-2-3-1, which would sometimes convert to a 4-3-3. Aaron Ramsdale played in goal, Ben White and Zinchenko played the full-back roles, with Gabriel and Saliba in the heart of the defense. Partey and Xhaka had the defensive midfield roles, while Odegaard was playing a more advanced position in the middle of the park. Saka and Martinelli commanded from the wings, and Jesus was the main threat in attack.
Spurs manager Antonio Conte may not have been as fortunate in his team selection, but he did manage to get important players in his starting XI. His formation of choice was 3-4-3. Hugo Lloris managed to start in goal, Christian Romero, Eric Dier, and Clement Lenglet played as the center-backs. At the same time, Perisic and Emerson were set out wide in the midfield, with Bentancur and Hojberg in the middle of the pack. Then, of course, Son and Kane were in attack, with Richarlison playing right wing in place of Kulusevski, who is out with an injury.
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The Gunners had an electric start, with Xhaka and Martinelli getting decent chances. However, it would be Partey who opened the scoring for them in the 20th minute. The ball was played wide to Saka, who passed it toward White. White made a quick pass to the Ghana international, who slammed his right foot into the ball and sent it into the top right corner from outside the box.
Spurs wouldn’t stay down for long. Son led his side to a strong counterattack to the opposite end in the 28th minute. The Gunners scramble to clear the ball, only to have Richarlison gain possession and weave his way into a dangerous position. It took a Gabriel tackle to stop him, at the cost of a penalty to the Spurs. Afterward, Kane stepped up, sent it right down the middle, and scored. It was his 100th away goal in the Premier League and his seventh this season.
The second half kicked off 1-1, but the Gunners quickly changed that. The attack was once again on Saka’s side, as the Englishman played a smart dribble and took a quick shot at the goal. The initial effort was saved but not caught. As Lloris struggled to grab the ball off the ground, Jesus remained alert and squeezed past Romero and Emerson to poke the ball into the back of the net, making it 2-1 to Arsenal.
It was his fifth goal of the season. Fans watched in awe as he slid with his arms flexed in a very familiar style. The celebration is a trademark of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, the club’s all-time top goalscorer. The Frenchman celebrated in this manner against the same opponents in a 3-0 victory back in 2002. Arsenal would go on to claim the league title that year.
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Things went from bad to worse for Tottenham in the 61st minute. Martinelli gained possession of the ball in his own half and began dribbling back when Emerson made a rough tackle on the Brazilian. His foot came down against the side of Martinelli’s calf, resulting in a red card for dangerous and reckless play. There was no review from VAR, and Emerson was sent off.
Arsenal put the final nail into the coffin in the 67th minute. Partey passed the ball out wide to Martinelli, who began to cut inside, and as he did so, Xhaka overlapped in front of him and took the ball with him. The Spurs’ defense missed the swap and watched helplessly as Xhaka took a touch and a shot to the bottom right corner, sending it past Lloris’s reach and putting the Gunners higher up to 3-1, which is how the game would end.
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At the start of the season, not many people thought Arsenal would be a title contender; yet, here we are. Arsenal currently sits in first place with 21 points, making it seven wins and one loss. They’re playing immaculate football and getting fantastic results. In addition, they made some top signings this summer, filling in important gaps.
Jesus brings goals and bags of quality, which Arsenal has been desperate for since the departures of Gabon international Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Frenchman Alex Lacazette. Aubameyang made his way to Barcelona last winter and then to Chelsea last summer. Lacazette stuck with the Gunners until the end of last season, followed by his return to Olympique Lyon in France. Zinchenko has also been impressive, providing support on the left side and backup for injury-prone Tierney. But one of the best players has to be William Saliba.
Signed by previous manager Unai Emery in 2019 and loaned out twice to OG Nice and Marseille in the last two years, the French defender was itching to play for the Gunners. So Arteta made it a priority to ensure his return, and since then, he has yet to disappoint. His level-headedness makes him a top center-back, as well as his defensive qualities. The signings of Marqinhous and Pablo Viera have also proved smart business, as both have already scored for the club.
In short, Arsenal did well this summer in terms of recruitment. They’ll be looking to sign a midfielder this winter and another winger if possible. They will also want to prioritize contract extensions for players like Saka and Martinelli, who are gaining interest from Manchester City and Chelsea, respectively.
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As of now, the Gunners have bragging rights over their London rivals, making North London red. They’ll be hoping to do the double over their bitter rivals come January, when the two sides face each other for the return fixture after the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Until then, Arsenal’s next game in the Premier League sees them play ninth-place Liverpool at the Emirates on Sunday. The Spurs travel to the Amex Stadium to play fourth-place Brighton tomorrow.