Arsenal 4 Tottenham 2
Arsenal and Unai Emery have liftoff. Quite literally for the club’s new head coach – who celebrated his team’s fourth goal of a quite extraordinary derby by leaping high into the air with his arms proudly outstretched – but perhaps also for the entire post-arsene Wenger era.
Yes, Arsenal had been unbeaten in 18 matches going into a fixture against their fiercest rivals, but these had largely been an incrementally diligent sequence of results against less expensively assembled opponents. There had been no real signature victory. No scalp against another of the big six. No moment which had shaken the very foundations of the Emirates. No game that is certain to be recalled in years to come.
With six goals, a red card and numerous flashpoints, on and off the pitch, this was all of that. And, yet, potentially also much more. For by recovering from a crisis of their own making, before then rising Tyson Fury-style from the canvas, Arsenal demonstrated a conviction that was only seldom evident when it most mattered in recent years.
Pierre-emerick Aubameyang was predictably the talisman – and he is now two clear at the top of the Premier League’s goalscoring charts following his ninth and 10th of the season – but Lucas Torreira again belied his size with another titanic midfield performance.
Emery also deserves huge credit for the way his tactical plan did initially enable Arsenal to dominate, before two decisive half-time substitutes inspired his players to continue their Jekyll and Hyde season. Arsenal would be 19th in the table if their matches ended after 45 minutes and yet their 24 second-half goals – more even than Manchester City – mean they are actually now above Tottenham in fourth.
It also ended a sequence of six straight wins for Mauricio Pochettino’s team, who now find themselves facing a serious challenge to retain both their Champions League status and recent north London hegemony.
Emery’s starting line-up contained only two players who had travelled last week to Ukraine for the Europa League match, although the complete absence from the match-day squad of Mesut Ozil raised most eyebrows. A back
injury was put forward as the explanation, even if Arsenal’s intensity suggested that the club’s highestpaid player should have been surplus to requirements regardless of the circumstances.
Emery again selected Hector Bellerin and Sead Kolasinac in the wing-back positions and, with Torreira and Granit Xhaka quickly dominant in central midfield, Arsenal targeted the flanks. Serge Aurier was having particular difficulties and soon conceded a freekick close to the corner flag. Xhaka floated in a cross and, with Shkodran Mustafi attacking the space, the ball struck Jan Vertonghen’s raised arm. The referee, Mike Dean, instantly pointed to the penalty spot and Aubameyang confidently sent Hugo Lloris the wrong way.
Arsenal were inflicting the sort of suffocating lesson in high-tempo pressing that Pochettino’s team have themselves so perfected in recent years.
The lingering worry for Emery was that his team were only one goal ahead. Tottenham had gradually grown into the game without truly threatening when Sokratis Papastathopoulos needlessly fouled Son Heung-min. Christian Eriksen delivered a powerful near-post cross, from which Eric Dier’s glancing header was just sufficient to wrong-foot Bernd Leno. Dier celebrated with a finger to his lips, sparking outrage from Arsenal’s fans but also an angry reaction from their substitutes. Significant numbers in both squads became embroiled in a shoving match.
Arsenal were most affected by the chaos and, after Son had then run on to a through ball, Rob Holding recklessly committed himself with a challenge. Replays confirmed that Son had checked back to avoid contact but Dean wrongly assumed that he had been upended. Cue more pushing and shoving. Harry Kane converted his penalty.
The tide seemed to have decisively turned. But there is something different about Arsenal this season. Sensing this, the crowd remain positive and the team are not prone suddenly to crumble. Emery also judged the situation superbly by changing things at half-time.
Aaron Ramsey and Alexandre Lacazette were introduced and the 45 minutes that followed were as good as anything Arsenal have produced in recent times. Aubameyang’s equaliser was sublime. The move started with Bellerin’s pass to Ramsey, who then deftly cushioned the ball into the club record signing’s path. It was no more than a half-chance but, from outside the penalty area, Aubameyang produced sufficient power to beat Lloris at his near post. The momentum had again swung and Arsenal seized their chance with complete self-assurance.
Ramsey dispossessed Juan Foyth and released Lacazette, who cut back inside the Tottenham defence and shot precisely past Lloris. Spurs were beaten and, just before Vertonghen was dismissed following a high tackle on Lacazette, Torreira ran off Dier to apply the finishing touch.