Tottenham 2-3 Arsenal: Gunners survive Spurs fightback to go four points clear at top

Tottenham 2-3 Arsenal: Gunners survive Spurs fightback to go four points clear at top

ITN News Hour
Kai Havertz scores Arsenal's third goal
Arsenal’s 3-0 lead after 38 minutes is the second quickest in a Premier League north London derby

Arsenal overcame the hurdle of a north London derby and an anxious finale to maintain momentum in the Premier League title pursuit with a vital victory at Tottenham.

The Gunners’ meeting with their bitter rivals was seen as arguably the most treacherous of their remaining fixtures, but they took ruthless advantage of Spurs’ defensive flaws to establish a three-goal lead by half-time.

Arsenal were then thrown off course when a dreadful clearance by goalkeeper David Raya presented Cristian Romero with a goal, the nerves really jangling when Son Heung-min scored from the spot three minutes from the end of normal time after Declan Rice fouled Ben Davies.

It was all so different when Arsenal went ahead after 15 minutes when the recalled Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg glanced Bukayo Saka’s corner into his own net, the England forward crowning a sweeping counter-attack with a smooth finish for the second after 27 minutes.

Spurs, who had Micky van de Ven’s goal ruled out by the video assistant referee (VAR) for a marginal offside with the score 1-0, were infuriated as they claimed Leandro Trossard had fouled Dejan Kulusevski before Saka scored, and were even more frustrated when the unmarked Kai Havertz headed in Arsenal’s third from another corner seven minutes before the break.

Arsenal were then content to see out the victory, only for Raya to give Spurs hope by sending a clearance straight to Romero.

An unlikely Spurs comeback seemed on when Son scored from but the Gunners closed out the win.

More to follow.

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Arsenal

  1. Squad number22Player nameRaya

  2. Squad number4Player nameWhite

  3. Squad number2Player nameSaliba

  4. Squad number6Player nameGabriel Magalhães

  5. Squad number18Player nameTomiyasu

  6. Squad number8Player nameØdegaard

  7. Squad number5Player namePartey

  8. Squad number41Player nameRice

  9. Squad number7Player nameSaka

  10. Squad number29Player nameHavertz

  11. Squad number19Player nameTrossard

  1. Squad number11Player nameGabriel Martinelli

  2. Squad number15Player nameKiwior

Line-ups

Tottenham

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 13Vicario
  • 23Porro
  • 17Romero
  • 37van de Ven
  • 33DaviesBooked at 81minsSubstituted forLo Celsoat 88′minutes
  • 30BentancurSubstituted forSarrat 45′minutes
  • 5HøjbjergSubstituted forBissoumaat 64′minutes
  • 21KulusevskiBooked at 77mins
  • 10MaddisonSubstituted forRicharlisonat 64′minutes
  • 16WernerSubstituted forJohnsonat 31′minutes
  • 7Son Heung-min

Substitutes

  • 6Dragusin
  • 8Bissouma
  • 9Richarlison
  • 11Gil
  • 12Emerson Royal
  • 18Lo Celso
  • 22Johnson
  • 29Sarr
  • 40Austin

Arsenal

Formation 4-3-3

  • 22Raya
  • 4White
  • 2Saliba
  • 6Gabriel
  • 18Tomiyasu
  • 8ØdegaardSubstituted forKiwiorat 89′minutes
  • 5ParteyBooked at 83mins
  • 41Rice
  • 7Saka
  • 29Havertz
  • 19TrossardSubstituted forMartinelliat 63′minutes

Substitutes

  • 1Ramsdale
  • 9Gabriel Jesus
  • 10Smith Rowe
  • 11Martinelli
  • 14Nketiah
  • 15Kiwior
  • 20Jorginho
  • 21Fábio Vieira
  • 35Zinchenko

Referee:
Michael Oliver

Attendance:
61,554

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