28 DAYS LATER
Horror of top v bottom on August 29 for Gunners to derby salvation
THIS was the best day Arsenal have had at the Emirates under Mikel Arteta.
A rip-roaring atmosphere, a brilliant all-action performance and an unforgettable victory over their greatest rivals.
For Tottenham, it will go down as a defeat so bad if alarm bells were not ringing about boss Nuno Espirito
Santo before kick-off they definitely will be now. Mixed in with the north London bragging rights is an incredible turnaround in the space of 28 days that suggests these are two clubs heading in very different directions. On August 29, Spurs went top of the Premier League after three straight wins while Arsenal were rooted to the bottom after three straight defeats. Now Arsenal are 10th, above Tottenham in 11th, which shows how quickly things can change. That might be of some
Arteta consolation for Nuno but you cannot escape either just how quickly things have turned sour for Spurs.
Arsenal were as good here as Spurs were bad.
They were so dominant in the first half they could have scored more than the three they did while Tottenham looked as if they either did not understand the game plan or were not playing for the manager.
Spurs were a complete shambles, overrun in midfield, toothless up front and a mess in defence.
Arsenal exploited the latter to full effect. They were full of energy, passion and movement. Thomas
Partey was their kingpin in midfield as he provided the foundation and base for all the skilful players to shine.
Emile Smith-Rowe in the 12th minute, PierreEmerick Aubameyang in the 27th and Bukayo Saka seven minutes later applied the finishing touches to a sensational display that saw Martin Odegaard pull the strings in midfield.
Aaron Ramsdale was confident in goal, Takehiro Tomiyasu an instant hit due to his battling qualities while Ben White and Gabriel were solid in central defence.
It was a complete team performance Tottenham simply could not match.
They did get better in the second half as Oliver Skipp replaced Dele Alli – who you could easily forget was playing – and Emerson Royal came on for Japhet Tanganga, who had a wretched 45.
But by the time Son Heung-min gave Spurs hope in 79, most of the away end had emptied as the home fans sang, “You’re getting sacked in the morning” at Nuno.
At the final whistle, the Emirates erupted in joy and Arteta joined the players to applaud their supporters.
The Gunners boss said: “This win is for the fans, they’ve been incredible in tough moments when we needed the support and it doesn’t get much better than the atmosphere we had here today.
“The determination, the conviction and connection with the people in such a special day.”