SPURS ARE KINGS OF NORTH LONDON
Alli and Kane strike to sink Wenger and confirm power shift
THE PREMIER League title may turn out to be beyond Tottenham once again, but this time there is no need for self-reproach.
Last summer was a long one for manager Mauricio Pochettino as he mulled over a late- season collapse that saw Leicester take the glory and Arsenal sneak into second place. The latter part hurt the Spurs manager the most.
This time it is different. Tottenham have grown stronger on the back of what happened a year ago and if they fail to catch Chelsea over the next three weeks, it will be through no fault of their own.
Already Tottenham have 77 points, seven more than last season. If they win their final four games to finish with 89 points, that would be a total not bettered by anyone in the top flight since Manchester United won the League with 90 in 2008-09.
Tottenham were too good for ragged Arsenal here, even without being at their best. Goalkeeper Petr Cech was Arsenal’s best player and Arsene Wenger’s team failed to create a chance of note.
It was no surprise, either, because Tottenham have been too good for most teams recently. This was their ninth league win on the spin and it tells you everything about how good they have been, and just how good Chelsea have been to keep them at arm’s length.
Some suggested last week’s 4-2 FA Cup defeat by Chelsea was indicative of an enduring soft centre. What rubbish. Spurs were the better team at Wembley and unlucky to lose. In the eight days since they have won at Crystal Palace and beaten their greatest foes without conceding a goal.
Tottenham’s lead over Arsenal stands at 17 points. This means Arsenal cannot catch them and the guy holding a sign in the crowd saying ‘Mind the gap’ was right.
It is 22 years since Tottenham finished above their neighbours and that they are so far clear this time indicates what is happening at both clubs.
Tottenham are ploughing forwards. Arsenal, meanwhile, struggle in the quicksand. They were competitive here for 50 minutes before collapsing to concede two goals in less than two-and-a-half minutes. After that there was no way back and this proved to be another dispiriting day for Wenger’s team.
Both Manchester clubs could only draw earlier in the afternoon but this defeat means Arsenal still managed to lose ground in the contest for top-four places.
The first half contained two good chances for Tottenham — Dele Alli heading wide and Christian Eriksen crashing a close-range volley against the bar when it seemed easier to score — but the gulf in quality between the teams had not been vast.
Arsenal, though, always look one bad moment away from trouble. They have no resilience and a collective sense of commitment and organisation inadequate for the game at this level.
As such, Tottenham’s strength was always likely to overwhelm them eventually and that is what happened.
Alli was the first to score and the young England player’s goal proved to be the defining moment of the afternoon. Eriksen showed fine footwork to ease past a couple of challenges in the penalty area and his shot from an angle was parried by Cech.
Alli had supplied Eriksen with the ball in the first place and he was still lurking, but not favourite to reach the rebound.
The 21-year-old was sharp enough to anticipate, though, and the fact he was already on the move as Eriksen shot allowed him to get there ahead of Arsenal’s defenders and the finish was simple.
Tottenham fans celebrated with an enthusiasm that reflected not only the significance of the goal, but of the occasion, the last derby at this stadium.
Arsenal, meanwhile, reacted by imploding. They gave the ball away straight from the kick- off, and when Victor Wanyama fed Harry Kane down the left, he was felled in the penalty area by a challenge of staggering ineptitude from the Brazilian defender Gabriel.
Wenger complained to the fourth official but he was wrong to do so. It was a penalty and Kane placed his kick confidently to Cech’s right to effectively seal the game.
Briefly, humiliation beckoned for Arsenal and they were spared it by their goalkeeper, who saved brilliantly from Jan Vertonghen and then Toby Alderweireld. By the end Tottenham had created 20 goalscoring chances, 11 of them hitting the target.
Cech’s display was crucial and it was a shame for Arsenal that it was not matched by midfielder Mesut Ozil, who was awful.
So, after the last derby at this fabulous old place, Tottenham have the bragging rights and it may be a while before Arsenal get them back. This is a season that may not bring Tottenham the ultimate prize, but any sense of failure belongs elsewhere.