Arsenal continued their winning momentum with an astounding 3-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur this weekend. It was a stunning performance from the home side who dominated the game in the first half-hour, effectively bagging all three points thanks to three early goals. Spurs did try to make a late comeback with a goal from Son Heung-Min, but it only turned out to be a consolation in the end.
Here, at The 4th Official, we will talk about three key talking points from Arsenal’s win over Tottenham at Emirates this afternoon.
New Look Arsenal Attack Springing Into Life
The most impressive part of Arsenal’s performance this afternoon was the brisk start that saw the Arsenal front four run rings around the Tottenham defence. Last season, the Gunners were highly criticised for their lack of creativity going forward, with ageing players like Alexandre Lacazette and Willian struggling to make an impact in the final third.
But this time around, the offensive combination of Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard has given Arsenal some much-needed youthful exuberance in the creative department. It was evident in the way the team countered Tottenham at every instance, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, too, getting in on the act using his pace and technical prowess.
Is Harry Kane Detrimental For Tottenham?
Tottenham produced a shameful display against Arsenal in this derby. They never managed to dominate the proceedings or sustain pressure on the Arsenal defence, primarily due to a faulty creative unit and an attack that relied heavily on the services of Son Heung-Min, with star striker Harry Kane appearing almost anonymous throughout the entirety of the game.
It has been the case far too often this season and there is a genuine case to be made whether Kane is slowing down the Spurs team this season. However, the majority of the blame should be given to coach Nuno Espirito Santo, who seems to have restricted the Englishman from playing his natural game by refraining him from dropping deep and linking up with other players.
His being used as a target man instead is making the job easier for the opposition to simply mark him out of the game. It was the case for Arsenal this afternoon.
Arsenal Finally Set For A Path To Recovery
The win in this North London derby sees Arsenal not only climb above their arch-rivals in the league table but also extend their winning run to four games in all competitions.
During this period, the Gunners have shown tremendous resilience, coherence and discipline, thus living up to the standard Mikel Arteta wishes to emphasise. The team is reaping the rewards too, and it is certainly a mark for improvement, with the North London giants now climbing up to tenth in the Premier League table.
They will have a week’s rest for the upcoming game against Brighton & Hove Albion. A win against the Seagulls could certainly put Arteta’s men in contention for the European places, with the team having a significant chance of even improving on their record for the coming weeks.
