Arsenal climbed to 2nd in the Premier League table after a 1-0 win over rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Mikel Arteta’s side were without several big names such as Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Mikel Merino for the North London derby, but they still outclassed Spurs away from home. The Gunners were superb particularly in the backline and eventually came on top after Gabriel Magalhaes scored with a towering header following the hour mark.
Magalhaes was handed the man of the match for his exemplary performance, but there were also some negatives to carry forward from the trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. In the absence of Rice due to suspension, Jorginho was handed his first start of the season in midfield alongside Thomas Partey. He was handed the captain’s armband.
The Italian has been impressive in the big games for Arsenal in the past, but he had a forgettable performance yesterday. The 32-year-old completed just 19 passes with 31 touches. He won only 3 out of 8 duels in the derby and lost possession 9 times. The former Chelsea man committed 2 fouls and was booked in the opening exchanges of the second half.
Arsenal will start their new Champions League campaign against Europa League holders Atalanta on Thursday and we can expect a few changes from the Gunners head coach. Jorginho will no doubt be dropped from the starting line-up with Rice available after his domestic ban. In comparison to Jorginho, Partey was more effective in the derby.
The Ghanaian also struggled to control the proceedings, but he was able to win 100% of his duels against Spurs. Arsenal travel to Bergamo for their first game of the new Champions League format on Thursday. There will be a quick turnaround for the London giants with an away league trip to Manchester City on Sunday afternoon. The game could be an early title decider.
