Arsenal edged out Spurs in another scorching north London derby on Sunday, with defender Gabriel’s header splitting the two rivals.
The first half saw the most yellow cards shown in the first 45 minutes of any Premier League game, with Jurrien Timber avoiding a red card.
Arsenal moved into second place with the win, while Tottenham remain in the bottom half after a difficult start to the campaign.
The Gunners boss has stressed his side’s intention to win their first Premier League title in 20 years, while Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou will face questions over his team’s capabilities and tactics.
Mail Sport’s Isaan Khan offers three talking points from the north London derby.
Arsenal beat Spurs 1-0 in another scorching north London derby on Sunday afternoon
Gabriel (left) scored the only goal of the match, heading a corner kick into the back of the net during the second half.
1. Are Arsenal the kings of set-pieces in the Premier League?
Set-pieces are a weapon devised by specialist coach Nicolas Jover and one that Arsenal have often used to devastating effect.
Since Jover joined Mikel Arteta’s side in 2021, the Gunners have scored 42 goals using this method, more than any other team in Europe’s top five leagues.
After scoring 22 of those goals in the Premier League last season, one wondered when the north London club would open their set-piece tally for this latest campaign.
Four games in, Gabriel powered a powerful header past Tottenham after Bukayo Saka’s corner. It was the decisive factor in a game Arteta’s side handled wisely with a makeshift midfield without Declan Rice, Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard.
It is no surprise that the Gunners have scored from set pieces, but Arteta will be pleased to know that his strategy has had to be adjusted slightly. Before the season, the PGMOL promised to penalise obstructions in the box at set pieces.
Arsenal have previously benefited from pushing and holding, with Ben White stepping in front of goalkeepers to trap them on the touchline.
On this occasion, White was unable to block Guglielmo Vicario, but he had him in his field of vision. It is difficult for a referee to monitor whether a player is blocking a goalkeeper in the box anyway. But Arsenal fans and Arteta can hope that set-pieces become a lucrative source of goals again this season, and that they won’t find the new rule too problematic.
The Gunners have scored 42 goals from set pieces since Nicolas Jover (centre) joined in 2021
Mikel Arteta (pictured) skillfully managed an injury-hit list to claim victory against fierce rivals Spurs.
That the Gunners are scoring from set pieces is no surprise, but it will delight Arteta as his strategy has had to be adjusted slightly.
2. Arsenal overcome injury problems
This game was never going to be easy for Arsenal. Two factors played a role: the threatening atmosphere created away from home at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and injuries.
Jorginho had yet to play a minute this season and Thomas Partey has endured a difficult start, the Ghanaian recovering from being left exposed in the opening game against Wolves.
Joining the combination without Odegaard, Rice and Merino, Arteta had a big task ahead of him, and he carried it out with aplomb.
Kai Havertz was expected to play in attack, but no one predicted Leandro Trossard would play in midfield. It’s a position he’s not used to, his goalscoring exploits (Trossard is arguably Arsenal’s most prolific player in front of goal) outweigh the need for him to play elsewhere.
The move was brave and it worked. Havertz was able to use his aerial presence in attack, while Trossard adapted for the good of the team and did his best work by dropping back and pressing the opponent in defence.
Arsenal, despite their injuries, could not afford to drop points after their 1-1 draw with Brighton. These three points are a great credit to Arteta’s ingenuity and his team’s ability to pick up points when things get tough. These are promising signs.
Arsenal called on Jorginho to replace several injured and suspended stars and he did so with aplomb.
Leandro Trossard was also moved into midfield, a move that no one really expected.
3. Ethan Nwaneri is ready to make his mark in the Premier League
He only came on in the 86th minute, but Ethan Nwaneri’s brief appearance showed why many fans are clamouring for the midfielder to play this season.
The 17-year-old looked comfortable on the ball, constantly wanting to be involved and produced some eye-catching passes forward to weave his way through the Spurs midfield.
Nwaneri has a maturity beyond his tender years and looks ready for his big moment.
The midfielder was always unlikely to start in this decisive encounter, with Arteta reluctant to put youngsters into the squad at the forefront.
What it did show, however, is that amid Arsenal’s injury crisis (particularly in midfield), Nwaneri is more than capable of stepping up.
Teenage sensation Ethan Nwaneri (pictured) looked comfortable in Arsenal’s midfield
He remains the youngest Premier League debutant in history, aged 15 against Brentford in September 2022, and is yet to make his full debut.
That next step doesn’t seem too far away.
