4 Talking Points From Arsenal’s 1-0 Win Over Tottenham

Arsenal earned a hard fought 1-0 win over North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon. Here, Gunner333 gives us 4 talking points from the game.

Following on from a mid-week exit from the Champions League, Arsenal were looking to prepare themselves for an almighty North-London derby with Tottenham. Sherwood’s boys would be disheartened after devastating losses to both Chelsea and Benfica in the past week.

With Liverpool’s attempt to send Man United spiralling into ‘Europa Exile’ going to plan earlier in the afternoon, a Gunners’ victory was surely paramount. Wenger showed great incentive, starting with the Ox in midfield alongside Rosicky and Cazorla, whilst Podolski played on the flank.

Despite a buzzing Spurs atmosphere, it was the red side of North-London which struck first. Rosicky burst forward on the break and played an inadvertent one-two with Oxlade-Chamberlain before smashing home a stunning strike from an awkward angle.

Any Tottenham responses were blunted by some stubborn Arsenal defending and the away side broke clean to almost make it two. Oxlade-Chamberlain broke clean through, but his attempted chip was sent wide of the post.

Tottenham held resounding dominance in passing play but lacked the killer edge. Naughton’s fired cross met Adebayor, who could only guide past the far post, whilst  Spurs made the most of a faint penalty appeal, moments later. At half time, it remained 1-0 to the Arsenal in what had looked a pretty even clash based on key opportunities, but the Gunners had taken their foot off the peddle on the possession front, with Spurs seeing far more of the ball.

After the break, early pressure was created by Tottenham with Szczesny looking vulnerable between the sticks. The Pole firstly flapping at a Naughton long-ball, before later gifting Chadli a near-open goal from a mis-timed gathering, but Koscielny performed a welcomed goal-line stop.

Frustrations blossomed from the Tottenham camp, with each home attack being blunted by an assertive Arsenal defence. Our midfield continued to track back, making that incisive pass all the more difficult for Spurs to find. We finally created an opportunity when Lloris made a fine stop to deny Mertesacker, while Koscielny had a strong penalty appeal turned down when Vertonghen hauled him down in the box.

Adebayor missed the final chance of the game as Arsenal held on to secure a vital three points. Here are 4 talking points from the game:

1) Making A Point

Along with a top-four finish and an array of fine football, the other aspect Arsenal fans always seek is a victory against bitter rivals Tottenham. This season we have now completed a Derby-double over our rivals in the league, while we also knocked them out of the FA Cup.

Not only does this victory give us the local bragging rights, but it also keeps us competing for the title as we moved level on points with second-placed Liverpool. We ground out a big away win, while not performing well. We were heavily out-played in the second half but our resilience carried us through to gain a vital three points.

2) Victory Or Quality?

As with any football fan, I would take a win under pretty much any circumstances. Yesterday we were poor, but with a victory it may be considered acceptable as a one-off. Problems could arise when this kind of display becomes a regular showing and we lose our footballing prowess. If so, something’s got to change.

It was noticeable our link-up play on Sunday was extremely poor and we rarely chose to play the short option. The long ball up to Giroud became a feature of our play but it rarely worked. I’ll put this down to us panicking but we really should be experienced enough to stay calm and play our usual game.

3) Szczesny Slips, Rosicky Rifles but Sagna Stumbles…

There was a variety of contrasting individual showings in this game, but for me there were three which particularly stood out.

Wojciech Szcesny, often reliable, was rarely called upon in terms of shot-stopping but he was troubled by a couple of crosses. His random advances rendered us vulnerable and he nearly gifted Chadli an equaliser. Some work alongside an experienced head wouldn’t go a-miss…

In addition to Szczesny, Rosicky was another stand-out performer. Had he not unleashed his opening strike, the story could have been very different. Tottenham may have gained more confidence and been able to find a final-ball more effectively. A vital goal from the Czech international.

My final analytical view is that of Sagna’s showing. He portrayed great desire and passion, as shown by his many tangles with Naughton, but with this comes rashness. On another day the referee may not have been so lenient and could have sent Sagna packing, so perhaps some caution should be implemented into his game.

4) Anything can happen!?

If we could follow up this win with positive results against the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Everton over the coming weeks then back-up then the Premier League’s age-old cliché that ‘Anything can happen,’ will certainly ring true.  In my opinion we will fall just short of the title this season, but you never know. Let’s hope we carry this momentum to Stamford Bridge on Saturday and keep our Premier League flame alive!

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