Arsenal (0-2): North London derby highs and flops
Arsenal, who are on course to finish off the English champions, are in action on the turf of their neighbors and rivals Tottenham this Sunday for the dreaded North London derby. The Gunners hit hard with a win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to go top of the Premier League (1st, 47 points).
Manchester City’s 2-1 loss to Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday gave Arsenal the right to make a mistake in theory. But the Gunners have a monster hunger and appetite to take down their opponent. Despite the youth of the workforce, Thomas Partey’s team-mates played a full game against Spurs thanks to a performance full of precision, tactical mastery and experience. Hitting hard in the first quarter of an hour and half an hour of play, Mikel Arteta’s men inflicted a heavy defeat on Tottenham. The red-and-whites, who were defeated last year in the same stadium (3-0), were the strongest this Sunday. A win that sends a strong message to the competition: Arsenal are now 8 points clear at the top of the Premier League and are very smart to dethrone them.
Saka, detonator? A truth. As is often the case, the English winger was the first to step on the offense and make it hurt. A real poison, he constantly confronted Sessegnon and sowed discord in the opposing defense. It was he who scored the first goal of the game, taking advantage of a misalignment between Dier and Romero to go deep and lead to an own goal by Lloris. His agility and cunning caused great damage to the opposing rearguard. Less noticeable in the second half, he bowed out like his teammates.
Arsenal may be worried about the absence of their powerful player Gabriel Jesus for two to three months. Arsenal have certainly found an alternative solution, more than a real contender for the Brazilian. Eddie Nketiah, who was at the forefront of the attack against Tottenham, struggled at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. In the four corners of the field, the attacker often stopped, called for open spaces and showed defensive efforts in transitions. If he doesn’t score, his capital performance for the Arsenal team deserves mention.
We also note decisive performances from Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey, Martin Odegaard and Aaron Ramsdale.
Antonio Conte made strong choices for this match. With the return of Pape Matar Sarr, Ryan Sessegnon and also Kulusevski, the Italian tactician believed he would be hampered in his tactical options against Mikel Arteta. Nothing will happen. The first part of “Spurs” was simply agonizing, except for the first ten minutes. As Odegaard scored the second goal, Spurs no longer had a clue. No action, no creativity, insulted artists and bumbling managers: this is the sad record of Antonio Conte’s version of Tottenham. In evidence: Lloris’ clearance ended at the feet of the Gunners, who countered to score their second goal of the day. The divorce with the Spurs supporters is complete, it seems that it happened long ago with the players.
A dumpling to start his meeting, a dangerous gap to finish. Hugo Lloris, the captain of the ship floating on it, sank the ship in the first quarter of an hour. The French goalkeeper, who announced that he will leave the national team, will have a hard time keeping his place in the hearts of “Spurs” supporters. His hand had no firmness, and it sank him into nothingness. His second goal of the afternoon comes after a symbolic release from Tottenham’s reluctance, standard and bite. Although his contract expires in June next year, the goalkeeper is not sure if he will keep his place in the goals of “Spurs” next season.
Some have compared him to Zorro with a protective mask on his nose, perhaps he should be compared to Casper the little ghost. Transparent on the offensive front, he did not give weight at all in the meeting. Without the slightest spark, like most of this 2022/23 season, the South Korean has been quite disappointing. Worse, he missed even simple gestures by sending passes in the gap. It also lacked juice and bite, making very few calls in empty spaces, and at times it was unusual. His poor passing clearly coincides with Spurs’ passing. He wakes up in the last quarter of an hour too late to topple Arsenal.
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