SportingNews >>> Is Arsenal back? Mikel Arteta’s side showed few flaws in a 3-1 London derby victory over Tottenham Hotspur, which allowed the Gunners to leapfrog their rivals in the Premier League standings. Arsenal dominated the first half en route to a 3-0 halftime lead and then held on in the second half for its third straight win.
Emile Smith Rowe, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bukayo Saka were the scorers in that overpowering first half during which the home side played with energy and desire, winning the battles in every zone of the field. The Arsenal back line was solid, the goalkeeping was surehanded, the midfield’s transition passing was crisp and the forwards were dynamic with their runs. All three goals were similar in the quickness and ruthlessness of the sweeping attacking moves.
“It’s probably the best day of my life,” Smith Rowe said in his postgame interview. “I’ve always dreamt of this day to score for Arsenal against Tottenham. With my family here as well, it’s the best feeling ever.”
Spurs should’ve had a penalty kick early in the second half after an ineffective Harry Kane was brought down, but the always-lively Son Heung-min eventually pulled one back to make the latter stages somewhat interesting. Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale avoided late drama with a tip save off the crossbar on a shot by Lucas Moura, who made his return to the lineup after an injury absence.
“We started really strong, really convinced, really determined,” Arteta said postgame. “It’s probably one of the best games that I’ve seen us play for that period in the first half. And in the second half we had to do what we had to do. So pleased to win the game.”
Things are looking up for Arsenal and its manager Arteta, who was under fire after starting the season with three straight losses. The Gunners have now won three straight to move up to 10th place (9 points). It’s been the opposite experience for Spurs (11th place, 9 points), who opened with three wins under new coach Nuno Espirito Santo and have now succumbed to three consecutive defeats, conceding three goals on each occasion.
“The performance was not good, the game plan was not good, the decisions were not good. It was definitely not a good day for us,” Espirito Santo said postgame. “When you have a game plan you have to make the right decisions in terms of who you want on the pitch to develop that game plan … the game plan was not according to the players who were on the pitch.”
“It is not about winning, it was the way we’ve done it against a tough team with top players and in the most special day of the season when we play our rivals,” Arsenal’s Arteta continued. “Today is one example of what we’re trying to do. Now we have to be consistent with every game and do it better.”