David Hytner was at the Emirates tonight. Here’s his report. Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night.
An extremely downcast Ange Postecoglou talks to TNT Sports. “Nowhere near good enough … especially the first half … way too passive … we hung in there but that’s all we were doing … second half was a little better … unacceptable … I guess the responsibility lies to me and how we prepared the players and their mindset going out there … it certainly wasn’t our intent … certainly in the first half nowhere near the standard we want to set … we go back to work and prepare for a tough game … we’ve had too many losses this year … too many games that have got away from us and that needs to stop … if you give up now there’s no point, but it needs to stop … we’ve got a big game against Everton and that’s our focus.”
Mikel Arteta speaks to TNT. “The boys were outstanding today … we played less than 72 hours ago 120 minutes in a competition that we are out … psychologically it is not easy but we performed … it was exceptional … we made it harder for ourselves because we deserved to score at least one or two more … outstanding … really good … it is about the next day … now it is Villa … we are going to try [to sign an attacker] for sure … we have lost two very important players … we will try … let’s see what we can get.”
Declan Rice talks to TNT Sports and gives it large, numerically speaking. “Tonight meant more than anything … the first 45 minutes was pure domination … to be honest we’re unlucky we didn’t score ten tonight … that’s the feeling … second half the game got stretched … they maybe could have had a couple but we could have had another five or six … that’s the disappointing thing … hopefully we can go on a run because this is the most important part of the season.”
The match-winner Leandro Trossard speaks to TNT Sports. “That is what we needed … we have to win those games … it’s a great night for us … we want to win every game … we were up for it today … it’s an amazing feeling … we work so hard, day in, day out … now we need to look forward … the hardest thing in football is to get the ball in the net … we could have scored more today but we’re happy with the three points so let’s celebrate tonight … we always want to put pressure on [Liverpool] … try to win every game … take all the positives … let’s enjoy this win.”
Mikel Arteta celebrates in his trademark passionate style. The Emirates erupts! Arsenal deservedly win the north London derby, though yet again big chances went begging and they were left hanging on a little bit during added time. Like they care about that right now. Everyone bouncing around, and no wonder … because the title race is on! Incidentally, Newcastle United, who beat Wolves 3-0 tonight and have now won their last nine matches in all competitions, aren’t quite out of it yet. Oh this is on.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 20 | 28 | 47 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 21 | 22 | 43 |
| 3 | Nottm Forest | 21 | 10 | 41 |
| 4 | Newcastle | 21 | 15 | 38 |
| 5 | Chelsea | 21 | 15 | 37 |
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FULL TIME: Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Arsenal close the gap at the top to four points! Spurs have only picked up five of the last 27 on offer.
90 min +4: … so having said that, Porro makes good down the right, reaches the edge of the box, and from a tight angle, tries to surprise Raya at his near post. He creams a rising shot off the right-hand post and out for a goal kick. So close to stunning title-chasing Arsenal, but that’s surely going to be that.
90 min +3: Arsenal let Spurs have the ball, but they’re holding a firm shape, and there’s nowhere for the visitors to go.
90 min +2: Gabriel is booked for a cynical off-the-ball challenge as Spurs try to launch a counter. When the game restarts, Porro advances down the right and crosses long. Solanke attempts the overhead kick at the far stick, but can only shin wide left of the target. Full marks for ambition, though Ange doesn’t look too pleased.
90 min +1: On TNT Sports, Ally McCoist names Gabriel as his player of the match.
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90 min: Richarlison crosses towards nobody in particular. Raya claims. There will be five additional minutes.
88 min: Nothing comes of the Spurs corner. Martinelli barrels off on the counter, and wins a corner for Arsenal. Nothing comes of that either. The tension at the Emirates is palpable. For all Arsenal’s domination, this isn’t over yet … even though the clock is on their side. Three precious points in the title race so close and yet so far.
87 min: Before the corner can be taken, Lewis-Skelly is hooked along with Rice, Merino and Zinchenko coming on in their places. Lewis-Skelly is then booked as he departs for some backchat.
85 min: Richarlison crosses from the right. Gabriel hooks behind for a corner with Johnson lurking. Before the corner can be taken, Bergvall yanks Lewis-Skelly into the net, just because. The referee comes over to tick both players off, and Bergvall displays industrial quantities of chutzpah by wearing an affronted look.
84 min: Tierney advances down the inside-left channel and reaches the edge of the box. An attempted shot ends up at the feet of Odegaard, eight yards out. He’s got to score, but slices wide left.
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83 min: Spurs are beginning to spend a bit more time in the Arsenal half. The hosts perhaps getting a little nervous? Maddison dinks a cross in from the right. Under pressure from Richarlison, Raya plucks the ball from the sky with one hand. Scrub that about the nerves.
81 min: Kulusevski tries to beat Gabriel in a footrace down the right. Gabriel intervenes, holds him off, and ushers the ball out for a goal. Too strong. Gabriel celebrates more vociferously than he did upon sort-of-scoring the equaliser.
80 min: Spence bustles into the Arsenal box down the left and goes over in the vague environs of Saliba. He wants a penalty but it’s simply good defending by Saliba, who was giving no quarter. Goal kick.
79 min: Bergvall scampers towards the Arsenal box from the right, and is presented with space and time to cross. Inexplicably, he turns tail and rolls out to Porro on the flank. Porro then clanks a pass down the right. Bergvall has no chance of reaching it. Goal kick. Tottenham’s second-half performance has been at times farcical.
78 min: Son is replaced by Richarlison.
77 min: Tierney comes on for Trossard.
76 min: Kinsky plays a hospital pass to Spence, who somehow manages to scuttle out of a three-man press on the edge of his own box while nearly falling over. This is ludicrous.
75 min: Just like last night’s Forest-Liverpool match, this game has suddenly opened up like a flower, end-to-end, NBA style. Arteta preparing a defensive substitution.
73 min: Maddison pounces on a loose ball, 40 yards from the Arsenal goal, and feeds Solanke, whose shot from just inside the box is blocked. Arsenal counter, Rice having a dig from the edge of the Spurs D. Kinsky doesn’t have a clue where the ball is as it pings off his shoulder. That is an absurd way to stop a goal. Kinsky has had quite the match.
72 min: A rare period of possession for Spurs. Johnson bursts into a little space down the right and whistles a low cutback through the Arsenal box … but there’s nobody in blue rushing in.
70 min: Martinelli jinks down the inside-right channel, beating four blue shirts and reaching the edge of the six-yard box. He should square for Havertz, who’d have an easy goal on a plate, but takes one touch too many and wins a corner, from which nothing occurs.
68 min: Arsenal stroke it around in the time-honoured sterile style. Spurs can’t get a sniff at the moment.
66 min: Maddison’s shot squirts through a crowded box to Raya. Spurs have carried no threat whatsoever since the restart.
65 min: Rice hits it flat to the near post, and it’s an easy clearance for Porro, who one-twos with Kulusevski before launching long for Maddison and Bergvall. A counter looks on, but Raya has read the danger and comes 30 yards out of his box to hammer clear.
64 min: Rice spins his way down the left and wins a corner. Rice will take it himself.
62 min: Kinsky miscontrols a backpass with his shin, the ball then accidentally clanking off his hanging arm. He’s nearly closed down by Martinelli … then gets out of trouble with an elegant backflick to Gray on the left. Great entertainment, though Spurs fans may demur.
61 min: Sterling’s race is run. He’s replaced by Martinelli. Arteta makes a point of high-fiving Sterling, who had been the subject of low-level grumbling from some Arsenal fans.
59 min: Trossard takes a fresh-air swipe at the ball from 12 yards and falls over. A huge chance, and an instant comedy classic.
57 min: A ball rolled into the Spurs box down the right for Havertz, who spins and rolls it into the path of Sterling, ten yards out. He should hit the target, he should probably score, but hesitates for a split second and Bergvall arrives to do what Lewis-Skelly did to Kulusevski 60 seconds earlier.
56 min: Kulusevski barrels down the right and looks like making good ground, only for Lewis-Skelly to suddenly burn past him and take the ball off his toe. The crowd enjoyed that. “Keir Starmer is meant to be an Arsenal fan,” begins Graham Fulcher. “He needs to sack Rachel Reeves. It’s her fault Sterling is completely devalued.”
54 min: Saliba beats Son in a footrace down the Spurs left and ushers the ball out for a goal kick. Son claims a corner in the satirical style, clearly referencing the Trossard incident as he smiles wryly at the referee. He knows full well he’s not going to get one, but the point is made.
53 min: Bergvall competes with Sterling out on the Arsenal right and clumsily clanks the ball out for a corner. Odegaard sends the set piece towards the near post, where Havertz heads wide right from six yards. Big chance.
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51 min: Son probes down the left and hits a shot-cum-cross that pinballs its way through to Raya, who gathers without drama near the left-hand post.
50 min: Kulusevski advances into the Arsenal box from the right but Rice sticks to him like glue and there’s no space to shoot. The ball’s worked back to Son, who has another whack from the edge of the D. This one’s deflected too, but unlike his first-half effort, sails harmlessly wide of the bottom right.
48 min: The Arsenal equaliser has been credited to Solanke. An own goal. Gabriel’s header not on target.
46 min: Sterling has acres of space to advance down the middle of the pitch. Nothing comes of it, but is that an immediate harbinger of things to come after that super-attacking double substitution?
Arsenal get the second half started. Spurs have made a bold double change, sending on Maddison and Johnson for Bissouma and Saar. Suffice to say Big Ange isn’t in the mood to die wondering.
That corner, then. TNT Sports have shown a replay that clearly shows the ball coming off Trossard’s knee when he was still on the pitch.
Half-time entertainment. This is a great story. Just how did an ageing non-league defender end up captaining City to four major trophies in three years?
HALF TIME: Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
It took a late turnaround, but Arsenal lead at the break. On the balance of play, it’s hard to argue that they don’t deserve it. Son’s not happy, though, and the Spurs captain tells the referee how he sees it, no doubt referencing the corner that led to the equaliser that shifted the balance of this entertaining north London derby. More please!
45 min +4: “Man of the First Half has to be Trossard, no doubt about it,” writes Michael Cosgrove, inventing a thing. “Some lovely dribbling, very high work rate and a sumptuous goal, I’ve not seen him play this well for a good while.”
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45 min +3: Havertz is given time and space to turn in the Spurs box, aiming a shot towards the top left. It’s blocked. Spurs desperately need to hear the half-time whistle.
45 min +1: The first of four additional minutes goes by without incident. “In general, I think VAR detracts more from the spectacle than it makes up in accuracy,” writes Kári Tulinius. “However, if we have to suffer it, then the least they could do is have a quick look whether a corner was given in error. I say this even if my team benefited this time.”
45 min: That’s a fine goal from Arsenal’s point of view – Partey won the ball well off Bissouma to start the move off – but it’s not great from Kinsky, who got a touch on the shot but not a significant one. Four minutes and seven seconds between the goals!
GOAL! Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Trossard 44)
An inexplicable amount of space for Trossard down the inside-left channel. Dragusin dozing. Trossard advances to the edge of the box and unleashes a bouncing bomb across Kinsky and into the bottom right. What a turnaround!
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42 min: Rice goes into the book for landing his studs atop Dragusin’s boot. He caught a little bit of shin, but not enough for VAR to get involved.
41 min: Should it have been a corner? Looks like Trossard’s cross hit Porro and came back off the Arsenal man. Maybe Trossard was off the pitch when the ball hit him. Either way, here we are. “Huzzah for corners!” cheers Danny Whybrow of 35-minute fame. You get the karmic assist, without question.
[EDIT: Replays show the ball coming off Trossard’s knee when he was still on the pitch]
Updated
GOAL! Arsenal 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Gabriel 40)
Another Arsenal corner from the left. Rice hits it long. Kinsky punches again … but this time he misses, and Gabriel squeezes a header into the net from a tight angle on the right. The last touch might have come off Solanke, but Gabriel forced it in, and celebrates.
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38 min: Kinsky is once again nearly closed down by Havertz. Dear me.
37 min: Arsenal pass it around awhile, probing hither and yon. Sterling tries to beat Spence in a footrace down the right, but the Spurs man is too quick for him. He nips in ahead and shepherds the ball out for a goal kick.
35 min: Rice curls the corner in from the left. Kinsky punches clear again. This is getting old. Speaking of which, here’s Danny Whybrow: “Enough with the corners already. We used to play half-decent football till that corner coach came along. Now we can’t shoot for toffee and we’ve stopped scoring from corners. I’m sick of corners.”
34 min: Odegaard wedges the free kick across towards Gabriel, but Bissouma heads behind for a corner.
33 min: Kulusevski tries to steal the ball off Odegaard, who is sizing things up to the right of the D. The Spurs winger only succeeds in skittling his opponent to the floor. Free kick in a very dangerous position.
32 min: Porro gets back on his feet and trots to the touchline. Play restarts. Arsenal’s attack comes to nowt, then Porro comes back on to a cacophony of abuse.
30 min: Trossard Cruyff Turns his way past Porro on the left. It’s a stunning piece of skill, and one which leaves Porro writhing around on the floor in agony. He might have twisted something, studs caught in the turf? Hopefully not. But it’s not a head injury, so the home fans aren’t happy when, once Trossard fails to find anyone with his cross, the referee stops play when Partey has possession 25 yards from goal.
28 min: Sarr is stupidly booked for blootering the ball away after conceding a garden-variety free-kick in midfield.
27 min: Sarr was given a ludicrous amount of time and space to advance up the pitch by Partey there. Now Bissouma is allowed to wander at will down the left. Saliba comes across to take control and usher the ball out for a goal kick, but this has to be a concern for Arsenal, with their midfielders suddenly not at the races at all.
GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Son 25)
The corner’s swung in from the right, and half cleared. The ball drops to Son on the edge of the D. He volleys low and hard. A big deflection off Saliba, and the ball trundles into the bottom right, very much against the run of play!
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25 min: That’s given Spurs some belief, though. Sarr strides down the right, almost the entire length of the pitch, winning a corner. And from that …
23 min: Nothing comes of the second corner. Spurs, despite having been penned in for the first 20 minutes of this match, should be leading.
22 min: The corner comes in from the right. Kulusevski takes a touch on the right-hand corner of the six-yard box, and inexplicably goes for the near corner instead of the far, allowing Raya to turn around the post for another corner.
21 min: Kinsky is once again nearly robbed by Havertz, but again he gets away with his mistake – a heavy touch this time – and sets Spurs off on the attack. Spence bombs down the left and curls low into the Arsenal box. Gabriel hooks out for a corner with Solanke lurking.
19 min: … but it’s better from Kinsky as he punches yet another Arsenal corner clear with confidence.
18 min: Kinsky dawdles with the ball at his feet and his eventual attempt at a pass out is blocked by the sliding Havertz. Hideous Kinsky. He’s very fortunate that the ball doesn’t bounce Havertz’s way, and he’s able to snaffle.
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16 min: Bergvall takes a heavy touch and attempts to make up for it, lunging into a 60-40 that’s in Partey’s favour. The over-eager young man slides hysterically into Partey, and like the other week against Liverpool, should go into the book, but gets away with a ticking-off. Full marks for determination and effort, but – and with a caveat that the data set is admittedly small - Bergvall’s a red card waiting to happen.
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15 min: A bit of space for Sterling down the right. He reaches the byline and cuts back to … nobody in particular. Shame, because Arsenal had red shirts arriving elsewhere. “Sterling was dismissed by one reader after the Utd match as ‘simply not a very intelligent footballer’, but I don’t see how a player can thrive under Pep as he did if that’s true,” writes Paul Curievici. “I can’t be alone in believing he has one last renaissance in him? And surely he deserves it, he was a thrilling player in his prime(s).”
13 min: Odegaard wedges in from the right. Rice takes a delightful touch to cushion the ball down and into the road of Trossard, whose shot is blocked. A sense that an opening goal for the hosts is merely a matter of time.
11 min: Rice curls towards the near post. Kinsky punches away confidently.
10 min: Odegaard launches it to the far stick, where Gabriel’s presence wins another corner on the left. Rice comes across to take.
9 min: Odegaard swings the free kick towards the near post. Kinsky punches, the ball pinging off the nearest player and out for another corner from the right. Odegaard to swing this one in properly.
8 min: Odegaard plays it short to Trossard, whose cross is blocked out for a throw. Then Bergvall skittles Timber out on the right touchline, and here comes yet another of those famous set-pieces.
7 min: Arsenal are well on top during these early exchanges. Odegaard dances down the inside-right channel and feeds Sterling on the overlap. Sterling crosses. Gray reads the danger and turns the ball out for a corner. This one to come in from the right.
5 min: … hoicks it straight out of play on the other side for a goal kick.
4 min: More space for Lewis-Skelly, out on the left this time. His attempted cross pings off Dragusin and out for the first corner of the evening. Rice strolls over to take it, and …
3 min: Lewis-Skelly drives in from the left and slips a gorgeous pass down the middle for Sterling, who is in acres on the edge of the box. Kinsky comes out to his feet. Sterling doesn’t know whether to attempt to round the keeper or dink him, and does neither. A huge chance spurned.
2 min: Rice swings it in. Bergvall doesn’t connect properly with a clearing header, but the ball drops kindly to Kulusevski, who is able to complete the job.
Spurs kick off. They’re immediately on the front foot, accompanied by pantomime boos. But Arsenal snaffle the ball and Sterling wins a free kick out on the right touchline, bundled over by Spence. An early chance for one of those set-pieces!
The teams are out! Arsenal in red with white sleeves, Spurs in second-choice blue. Everyone looking real dandy. The atmosphere is ratcheted up to derby settings, and we’ll be off in a couple of minutes. “Glanced at the 2010 MBM to find a gratuitous reference to Roy Hodgson,” begins Richard Hirst, who is onto me and no mistake. “Perhaps you could remind your readers (he said pompously) what he achieved in 2010? Never to be forgotten in SW6.”
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Pre-match postbag. “Sterling - well, of course Arteta didn’t have much to choose from, though he might’ve tried calling down a member of the public, if only for the first half hour. We’ve been here before – Pepe comes to mind, and dear old Raheem, much as he deserves sympathy for a tough few years, is seemingly intent on replicating some of that dancing about and giving the ball away routine that was such a hit amongst the fans. Freddie Ljungberg is still out there somewhere, perhaps Mikel could give him a call?” – Charles Antaki
“It was awfully nice of Sol Campbell (and Google) to give the away fans so much ammunition. I mean, as a neutral, he’s rarely come across as a likeable fella, but there were some genuinely good lines in that advert. I’m sure his name will be taken entertainingly in vain through the evening. Excellent work” – Sol Campbell Matt Dony
“Mingus! That is one of my all-time favourite jazz albums. It’s brilliant!” – Joe Pearson
Mikel Arteta talks to TNT Sports. “We all love these games … a beautiful occasion … this is the moment of the season you have an opportunity to take advantage … earning the right to be better than Spurs and beat them … take things as they come and make the most out of it … the attitude and the way we played against Newcastle and Manchester United, let’s keep doing that and we will win a lot of games … [Raheem Sterling] looks really sharp … he is very motivated … he has a great opportunity today … the players are very excited … it is a gift to be in a position to make a lot of our supporters very happy so we will do our best to do it.”
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You can get sevens on Tottenham Hotspur to win tonight. That doesn’t seem particularly generous seeing they’ve only won one of their last 31 Premier League visits to Arsenal, that victory coming all the way back in late 2010. To be fair to Spurs, their 3-2 triumph that day was one for the ages: relive it here in the old-style MBM format. [Contains references to Charles Mingus and Lester Young. Any old excuse… ]
Ange Postecoglou talks to TNT Sports. “It’s a special game … we should all embrace that part of it … it’s not just another game … [Antonin Kinsky] has handled things really well so far … some big games, some tricky games … it’ll be a great test for him but I’m sure he’ll cope well … apart from [Archie Gray] helping us through this period, the growth we’ve seen in him and the benefit we’ll get from that once we get some players back will be enormous … we’re super pleased to get [Richarlison] back … him and Mikey Moore give us a few more options in the front third … Richy can’t wait to get out there and will see some action tonight … hopefully we can give the fans a night to remember.”
It’s derby day, so chances are the Emirates will be a cauldron of bedlam tonight. That’ll be just as well from Arsenal’s perspective, argues Jonathan Liew. “For all the focus on Arteta’s attention to detail, the fixation on things such as set pieces and defensive spacing, at root he is a vibes coach.” Click below for more.
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Arsenal make four changes to the XI that started the FA Cup defeat to Manchester United. Raheem Sterling, Leandro Trossard, Declan Rice and Thomas Partey are in from the off; Gabriel Martinelli, Mikel Merino and Jorginho drop to the bench, while Gabriel Jesus prepares for surgery on his ACL.
Tottenham Hotspur make five changes to the side that began the win at Tamworth. Lucas Bergvall, Dejan Kulusevski, Dominic Solanke, Son Heung-min and Djed Spence step up; James Maddison, Sergio Reguilón, Brennan Johnson and Mikey Moore drop to the bench, while Timo Werner misses out altogether.
The teams
Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Odegaard, Partey, Rice, Sterling, Havertz, Trossard.
Subs: Neto, Tierney, Martinelli, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Jorginho, Merino, Butler-Oyedeji, Kabia.
Tottenham Hotspur: Kinsky, Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Spence, Bissouma, Sarr, Bergvall, Kulusevski, Solanke, Son.
Subs: Austin, Reguilon, Richarlison, Maddison, Johnson, Lankshear, Moore, Olusesi, Hardy.
Referee: Simon Hooper
VAR: Peter Bankes
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Preamble
Neither of these teams covered themselves in glory in the third round of the Cup. Both could do with a big bounce-back result in the Premier League, with the title race, robustness of peg for Ange’s coat, local pride, etc., all in mind. Kick-off at the Emirates is at 8pm GMT. It’s on!
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 20 | 28 | 47 |
| 2 | Nottm Forest | 21 | 10 | 41 |
| 3 | Arsenal | 20 | 21 | 40 |
| 4 | Chelsea | 21 | 15 | 37 |
| 5 | Newcastle | 20 | 12 | 35 |
| 6 | Man City | 21 | 9 | 35 |
| 7 | AFC Bournemouth | 21 | 7 | 34 |
| 8 | Aston Villa | 20 | -2 | 32 |
| 9 | Fulham | 21 | 2 | 30 |
| 10 | Brentford | 21 | 3 | 28 |
| 11 | Brighton | 20 | 1 | 28 |
| 12 | West Ham | 21 | -14 | 26 |
| 13 | Tottenham Hotspur | 20 | 12 | 24 |
| 14 | Man Utd | 20 | -5 | 23 |
| 15 | Crystal Palace | 20 | -7 | 21 |
| 16 | Everton | 19 | -10 | 17 |
| 17 | Wolverhampton | 20 | -14 | 16 |
| 18 | Ipswich | 20 | -15 | 16 |
| 19 | Leicester | 20 | -21 | 14 |
| 20 | Southampton | 20 | -32 | 6 |
