Match Report: Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham – North London Derby disaster

Tottenham Hotspur once again lost out on three points as they fell short to Arsenal at the Emirates, making it just five points from the last 27 available in the Premier League.

Words can’t describe the pain of seeing “North London is red” flooding social media. And why give fans hope in the first place? Surely, it would’ve hurt less if Spurs hadn’t squandered a lead for the umpteenth time.

Looking at the lineups and benches, it was pretty clear what to expect. Yet, for some reason, Arsenal acted like they were the ones going through a rough patch. Their “crisis underdog” act is getting old.

First half: Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur

The first half was all Arsenal as Spurs kept losing the ball in all kinds of dangerous areas. The Gunners’ pressure was relentless, and Tottenham couldn’t progress the ball effectively. By the 20-minute mark, they hadn’t touched the ball in Arsenal’s box. But then, completely against the run of play, Heung-Min Son gave Spurs the lead with a deflected shot that found its way past Raya.

Of course, the joy was short-lived. Arsenal equalised from a corner just 15 minutes later. Gabriel’s header initially seemed destined for the net, but it ended up being credited as an own goal off Dominic Solanke. It was yet another example of Spurs’ inability to defend set pieces.

Unfortunately, replays showed what appeared to be a clear touch from Trossard in the build-up to the set-piece, meaning it should never have been a corner in the first place. Of course, they had to score from something they didn’t deserve!

Before Spurs could regain composure, Arsenal struck again. Leandro Trossard was released down the left by Odegaard and rifled a low shot past Kinsky, who really should’ve done better. However, much of the blame lay with Bissouma, whose sloppiness left Spurs exposed.

That first goal from Son never really pumped me up, and by half-time, Spurs had conceded twice in the final 15 minutes. They’ve now let in 10 goals in that period this season—the most in the Premier League—while Arsenal have scored 10 in the same timeframe.

Second half: Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur

Surprisingly, Arsenal didn’t park the bus, but Spurs hung on for all the wrong reasons. The introductions of Maddison and Johnson at half-time brought little or no improvement, as Spurs continued to struggle to create chances in the final third. The removal of Bissouma and Sarr might explain why they didn’t concede again, as Spurs looked slightly more stable defensively.

Richarlison came off the bench for Son in the final 10 minutes and showed some energy, but it’s tough to make a significant impact with so little time. Porro came closest to an equaliser, rattling the post deep into stoppage time, but Arsenal comfortably held on to secure their third straight derby win.

Takeaways

1. Bergvall and Gray shine amid the gloom
   The only positives were the performances of 18-year-olds Bergvall and Gray. Bergvall, with a match-high 4 tackles and 9 duels won. And when an 18-year-old midfielder has more tackles than the likes of Saliba, Gabriel and Rice, that’s an indicator of how special he would be for Spurs in the future. Meanwhile Gray—playing out of position—handled world-class attackers with ease. Ange Postecoglou is right to fear other clubs and managers poaching these gems. By the way, did anyone hear a word of praise for them both from Rio Ferdinand and the BT team when they were bigging up Lewis-Skelly? Not me
2. Brennan Johnson – a disappearing act
   Brennan Johnson, who was once on a goal-scoring streak has disappeared ever since. I don’t know what exactly he’s bringing to the pitch, just one touch in the opposition box, 0 accurate crosses and just 3 passes into the final 3^rd. And when was the last time any of us saw the man winning a 50-50. Forget a 50-50, he’s going to play it back even if he has the most eye-watering chance. He needs to be a bit braver.
3. Djed Spence gives his all
   Another Spurs player who was pretty impressive today was Djed Spence. He did everything he could, gave his all defensively and also when attacking. He made a few impressive runs through the left flank but there was no end product. If you look at where Spurs’ highest concentration of play came from, it was from Spence’s side.
4. A squad lacking leaders
   Gray, Bergvall, Spence, and Son were the only ones who stepped up. Maddison disappeared five minutes into the second half, Kulusevski was invisible, and Johnson was ineffective. Solanke squandered easy chances, and the rest of the team were just there for the vibes.
5. Bissouma’s inconsistency strikes again
   Yves Bissouma and his love story with inconsistencies: Looked so sharp against Liverpool and then was the only Spurs player who looked lively for the entire 120 minutes against Tamworth. Now he drops this stinker. In my opinion, Ange shouldn’t have used him so soon considering he’s played an entire 2 hours against Tamworth. Of course,e he’s going to be fatigued. (Spurs’ injury list says hi)

Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham: Conclusion

I could write a thousand words on what’s wrong at Spurs, but the issues are plain for all to see. Spurs’ last win at the Emirates came under Pochettino, and their last away win at Stamford Bridge was under him too. Since his departure (sacking is the right word), the team has failed to rise to the occasion in these crucial derbies. With just five points from the last 27 available in the Premier League, Spurs seem to have given up on the league entirely.

They’ve already lost 11 games this season, just one behind last year’s total. Unless the FA Cup or EFL Cup brings silverware, it’ll be another trophyless campaign. Spurs fans were assured of defensive reinforcements this transfer window but have only seen a goalkeeper arrive. Time is running out, and so is patience.

“Time heals everything,” they say. Let’s hope it’s true for Tottenham.

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