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Arsenal deservedly won the north London derby to go four points clear at the top of the Premier League

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Sat 1 Oct 2022 09.50 EDTFirst published on Sat 1 Oct 2022 06.15 EDT
Granit Xhaka fires Arsenal into a 3-1 lead.
Granit Xhaka fires Arsenal into a 3-1 lead. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters
Granit Xhaka fires Arsenal into a 3-1 lead. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters

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A very happy Mikel Arteta talks to BT. “The players were phenomenal. From the beginning we went for it. We had amazing support. We created a great energy in the stadium. We deserved to win the game. We were free, we were courageous, we were brave. You could feel the connection between the players, the staff and the crowd. I am so happy, it was a beautiful day and a beautiful game. I think we made a lot of our supporters happy and proud. It gives us a lot of encouragement and confidence that we can play at this level. A big game.”

Antonio Conte speaks to BT Sport. “The first half was in balance. We had many chances to score. We made a big mistake in the last pass. We had great space and great chances. In the second half we conceded early. We could do much better. Then the red card ended the game. It was really difficult for us, we had to change totally the situation. I don’t want to comment on the referee’s decision. When you lose, you have to justify. In the first half we had opportunities. We made big, big mistakes in the last pass. Easy passes. We have to move on. We have to try to stay close with the other teams at the top.”

Granit Xhaka speaks to BT Sport. “We saw yesterday in training that we were ready. We knew exactly what we wanted. From the first second, we were the better team. In the second half, we were much better. It was my first derby goal in England, I am happy, but the most important is the team.”

Gabriel Jesus adds: “I think we deserved to win. We wanted to play the game, make chances. I feel at home. I’m really happy here and think we are in a good way.”

A deserved win for Arsenal, who look set for a proper title challenge. Spurs were outplayed for most of the game, though looked dangerous on the break in the first half, when they could easily have plundered another goal or two. But the second half was nothing short of a disaster for them. Emerson’s challenge on Martinelli looked clumsy, rather than malicious, but when studs connect with ankle, it’s only ever going to end one way. In any case, Arsenal had established their dominance before his dismissal: Zinchenko, Jesus, Martinelli, Odegaard and Xhaka were all excellent. By contrast, Spurs pretty much to a man had a bad day at the office. Still, once the sting of defeat dies down, can console themselves with the fact that they’re still only four off the Premier League pace.

Pos Team P GD Pts
1 Arsenal 8 12 21
2 Man City 7 17 17
3 Tottenham Hotspur 8 9 17
4 Brighton 6 6 13
5 Man Utd 6 0 12

HANDSHAKE WATCH: Arteta and Conte shake in the friendly style. Dier and Kane aren’t so happy, giving the referee their views on the sending off.

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FULL TIME: Arsenal 3-1 Tottenham Hotspur

Martinelli curls the free kick over the bar, and the whistle goes. Arsenal extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to four points. Tottenham’s 13-match unbeaten run comes to an end.

90 min +3: Dier is booked for a tug on Nketiah’s shoulder. A free kick just to the left of the Spurs box.

90 min +2: The second of three added minutes goes by without incident. On BT Sport, Martin Keown names Granit Xhaka as man of the match. Seems fair enough. He’s had a great game.

90 min +1: Nothing comes of the corner, though in the middle of a packed box, Saliba manages to nutmeg Skipp, which entertains the home crowd.

90 min: Arsenal ping a few passes together, then Tierney finds himself in a pocket of space, 30 yards out. He sends a low swerver towards the bottom right, and Lloris does very well to turn it around the post. Corner.

87 min: On the touchline, Arteta waves his arms around hysterically, as though his team were 3-1 down, not a man and 3-1 up. Conte by contrast is subdued and pensive. Penny to be a fly on the wall when he discusses the red card with Emerson.

82 min: It’s an attack-versus-defence session now. What Spurs would give to hear the final whistle. The closing period of the first half, with this match in the balance, seems a lifetime ago now.

78 min: Dier takes a touch to tee up Kane, whose drive is blocked by Jesus. A small chink of light immediately blocked out. Tottenham’s frustration increases.

77 min: Bentancur blazes down the inside-left channel and is cynically blocked by Saliba, who goes into the book. Free kick just to the left of centre, 25 yards out, and you never know.

74 min: Gabriel is bundled over from behind by Kane, who then rather petulantly leaves a boot in. He could certainly have avoided doing so. You’ve seen players sent off for less. England captain privileges.

73 min: Arsenal respond by a couple of like-for-like switches: Zinchenko and Partey, both feeling their way back from injury, are replaced by Tierney and Lokonga.

72 min: It’s damage limitation from Conte, who makes four changes. Son, Richarlison, Perisic and Lenglet make way for Doherty, Sessegnon, Bissouma and Sanchez. Bolstering the defence very much in mind.

Good luck, lads. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters
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71 min: Zinchenko and Martinelli combine down the left to release Saka, whose low drilled cross is shinned away from danger by Perisic.

69 min: Spurs are all over the shop. Arsenal swarm them. Martinelli once more makes his way down the left, but his low cross is deflected through to Lloris. The Emirates is bouncing. This could be a long final 20 minutes for Spurs.

Delight for Granit Xhaka. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters
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GOAL! Arsenal 3-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Xhaka 67)

Martinelli drifts in from the left. He leaves the ball for Xhaka, on the edge of the box. He shifts his feet to make some space. He takes a touch to the left, then forensically rolls across Lloris and into the bottom right! Arsenal in total control now!

Granit Xhaka scores to make it 3-1. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
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66 min: Saka sashays in from the right and curls powerfully towards the top left. Always heading wide.

65 min: Martinelli proves he’s fine by elegantly dancing down the left for the umpteenth time, and sending a cross in that only just evades Jesus.

64 min: That was pretty stupid from Emerson. Thankfully Martinelli isn’t seriously injured – he initially went down in worrying fashion – and is good to continue.

RED CARD! Emerson (Tottenham Hotspur)

62 min: Martinelli tracks back to help out his defence. He’s dribbling down the flank, towards his own byline. Emerson comes in from behind and plants his studs on Martinelli’s ankle. The referee has a think, then shows him a straight red. Serious foul play.

Gabriel Martinelli is down after being hacked but Emerson. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
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60 min: Xhaka sends a diagonal into the Spurs box from the right. Jesus rises at the far post, but his downward header is claimed on the line by Lloris.

59 min: Richarlison skedaddles down the right and cuts back for Son. The pass isn’t any good, behind the intended target, but rolls into the path of the in-rushing Hojbjerg. The Spurs midfielder looks to repeat the Partey trick, but slaps a poor effort miles wide right and high.

57 min: Arsenal are utterly dominant right now. We’re back to the early stages of the first half. Spurs can’t keep hold of the ball.

54 min: Jesus stays down. Seconds before the missed chance, he’d cut in from the left and was clipped by Dier. He wanted a penalty but both referee and VAR saw it as a fair coming together. Anyway, whatever it was, he’s felt it.

53 min: Saka slips White into space on the overlap down the right. White dinks a cross into the middle. Jesus sends his downward header wide left, with the goal at his mercy. It should be 3-1.

51 min: As if falling behind again isn’t bad enough news for Spurs, how about this for a stat: Jesus is unbeaten in all of the previous 50 Premier League matches in which he’s scored. He’s won 47 of those matches! Spurs respond by winning a corner, but it proves a bit of a non-event.

GOAL! Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Jesus 49)

Saka cuts in from the right, opens his body, and shoots towards the bottom left. Lloris parries but can’t claim. The ball breaks to Jesus, who bundles home from six yards! Lloris probably should have smothered the rebound, but let the ball squirt through his hands and under his body. What opportunism from Jesus, though!

Jesus pounces to give the Gunners the lead. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
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48 min: Saka yet again makes ground down the right and pulls back for Partey, who attempts to replicate the goal. He’s blocked this time. That’s the third time Spurs have allowed Arsenal to set up Partey for a shot like that.

47 min: Spurs instantly go Total Football. Kane drops deep to rake a long pass down the right for Romero! The Spurs centre-back enters the Arsenal box but doesn’t back himself to shoot, allowing Saliba to come across and close him down.

Arsenal get the second half underway. No changes. Here’s Chris Cusack: “I’m a 43-year-old Spurs fan and although Conte’s style is not to my liking I love how he’s transformed us into serial winners (sic). I reckon there’s a chance we’ll win the league in the next 40 years, something I had never thought possible.” That counts as reckless optimism for a Spurs fan, doesn’t it.

HALF TIME: Arsenal 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur

That was great fun. All Arsenal for a while, then Spurs came roaring back. Both teams could easily have had a couple more. The second half can’t come soon enough!

45 min +1: The first of two extra minutes. Richarlison tries to outGarrincha Jesus, cutting into the Arsenal box from the right. But Jesus isn’t having it, and chases back to stop his fellow Brazilian in his tracks.

45 min: Zinchenko crosses from the left. Jesus doesn’t really connect with his flick-on, Saka doesn’t really connect with his shot on goal. Easy for Lloris, but that should have been more than just half a chance.

43 min: Odegaard slips Jesus away down the inside-left channel. Jesus channels his inner Garrincha, dropping a shoulder to zip past Emerson, then shaking his hips to see off Romero. He reaches the edge of the six-yard box and pokes goalwards. Lloris is positioned well to block. What a goal that would have been!

41 min: Richarlison takes a fresh-air header. Fresh-air shots are ten a penny, but you don’t see those so often.

39 min: White sends a looping diagonal towards Martinelli and Xhaka on the edge of the six-yard box. The Arsenal pair get in each other’s way and Spurs clear. Arsenal come again, Martinelli winning a corner. Spurs deal with that too. Good luck guessing which team scores next.

37 min: This game is gloriously open. A corner for Spurs. Perisic swings it in from the right. Ramsdale is forced to claw it away from under the bar. Saka wins a corner up the other end. Spurs defend it, then counter through Perisic down the left. Perisic crosses deep. Kane sends a soft header into the arms of Ramsdale. Spurs are suddenly right in this game, after their slow start.

35 min: Kane’s goal makes him the all-time Premier League scorer in London derbies. His 44th goal one more than Thierry Henry. Teddy Sheringham and Frank Lampard are next on the list with 32.

34 min: Arsenal suddenly look a little jittery, and the Spurs press is on. Son and Richarlison bother Saliba, who amid the mayhem does extremely well to spin away from both opponents and dribble away from danger.

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