Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and maybe even Arsene Wenger seemed to have tired somewhat of the storyline. The narrative arc had perhaps become tiresome to them so they decided to inject a plot twist, something wholly unexpected.
Since the heights of that win over Real Madrid had indicated Spurs as not just London’s but Europe’s coming team, Arsenal have bided their time. Tottenham’s rise has brought Arsenal’s stagnation into sharper focus and, in truth,a victory here does nothing to change that long-term prognosis.
It is the overall direction of these two clubs in recent years that has been so starkly different with one team so clearly progressing under a young manager while another club seems stuck under a man on the brink of retirement.
Shkrodan Mustafi headed Arsenal in front against Tottenham 10 minutes before half time from a floated Mesut Ozil free-kick
The centre back guided the ball past Hugo Lloris, though there were questions over if the free kick should have been given
Alexis Sanchez smashed in from close range before the break to make it 2-0 as the Gunners were superior in the first half
MATCH FACTS, LEAGUE TABLE AND MATCH ZONE
Arsenal (3-4-2-1): Cech; Koscielny, Mustafi, Monreal; Bellerin, Ramsey, Xhaka, Kolasinac; Ozil (Iwobi 84), A. Sanchez; Lacazette (Coquelin 73)
Unused subs: Ospina, Mertesacker, Maitland-Niles, Wilshere, Welbeck
Goals: Mustafi 37, A. Sanchez 41
Bookings: Xhaka 32, A. Sanchez 38, Mustafi 48, Monreal 73
Tottenham (3-4-2-1): Lloris; D. Sanchez, Dier, Vertonghen; Trippier, Sissoko, Dembele (Winks 62), Davies; Eriksen, Dele (Son 75); Kane (Llorente 75)
Unused subs: Vorm, Foyth, Aurier, Walker-Peters
Booking: Kane 50
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Following a controversially awarded free kick, Shkodran Mustafi headed in Mesut Ozil’s floated cross. For more stats and facts, visit our exclusive MATCH ZONE service by clicking here.
However analyse the actual starting elevens and they’re fairly evenly matched if – and it is by no means guaranteed – you have a motivated Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez. For a north London derby though it seems that can be relied upon. Wenger also had Alexandre Lacazette in sparkling form, Granit Xhaka returning to what he should be and Aaron Ramsey dominating a midfield.
At the end, when necessary he had Petr Cech leaping across goal to keep out an Eric Dier header; and there was Shkodran Mustafi with a vital block on Harry Kane in the second half as well. All that adds up to a fairly useful side.
This was Arsenal at their best, the kind of performance that won them so many plaudits against Chelsea in the FA Cup final last May. Then you wondered whether it might be a springboard for something, a last hurrah for Arense Wenger, perhaps?
A summer of discontent and the debilitating winding down of the contracts of Arsenal’s two best players seemingly sucked the life out of that optimism, but it seems a fortnight of hearing how Tottenham now overshadowed them and how they were no longer even the best side in north London, let alone the Premier League, had riled these Arsenal players and stirred them into life.
This tackle by Davinson Sanchez was penalised by referee Mike Dean, and the free kick led to Arsenal’s opening goal
A floated header by Mustafi (second right) beat Hugo Lloris by flying in off the post, sending the home crowd into raptures
Sanchez fired into the roof of the net, with Lloris beaten from almost on his goal line, to double Arsenal’s advantage
Sanchez celebrates Arsenal’s second goal, which came a mere 305 seconds after the Gunners scored their opener
There was some debate over whether Mike Dean should have awarded the free kick for Davidson Sanchez’s foul on Alexis Sanchez which led to the first goal. It is true the Colombian won the ball but that was only after he had given Alexis a solid push and then tacked through him to win it. It didn’t stop Mauricio Pochettino rounding on the fourth official, Kevin Friend
Whatever, Mesut Ozil’s free kick was delivered divinely on to the head of Shkodran Mustafi, who had risen magnificently. It was one of those headers whose trajectory was seemingly computer controlled, so precise was its target, looping over everyone before striking the inside of the post and leaving Hugo Lloris helpless as it nestled in the net. Arsenal were finding their stride.
They were repeatedly finding space behind the Tottenham back three and had come within a whisker of opening the scoring shortly before the opening goal when Hector Bellerin’s cross was but a millimetre away from connecting with Alexandre Lacazette, who was cleverly obstructed by Davidson Sanchez.
Pochettino had more cause for complaint over Arsenal’s second goal. Lovely though the flighted pass from Bellerin was, Lacazette was actually marginally offside when he rushed to collect it. Still, from thereon in, Arsenal exploited their fortune well. The Frenchman played in Alexis Sanchez and though the Chilean looked to have made an initial mis-control, from an extraordinarily tight angle he managed to lift the ball over Lloris and score from close range.
Harry Kane played with strapping around his knee, having missed England international duty the previous week with an injury
Kane is tackled by Laurent Koscielny as the England striker fell below his usual high standards in an anaemic first half
Christian Eriksen hit the post in the first half from outside the area, the closest Spurs came to a goal in the opening 45 minutes
Eric Dier, fresh from captaining England in midweek, came close after the break to scoring, but his header was saved
Petr Cech is fouled by Dele Alli – another player who endured a disappointing first half – as he attempts to claim an aerial ball
It’s not that the usually-scintillating Tottenham team offered nothing – Christian Eriksen, fresh from his Dublin heroics, hit the post in the first half and Harry Kane’s header was plucked out of the air by Cech – but they had certainly been knocked out of their usual confident stride.
Arsenal weren’t as dominant in the second half but they didn’t need to be. There was one delightful passage of play when Ozil and Sanchez exchanged passes from one box to the other before a final ball eventually let them down.
Lloris needed to save well from Sanchez on 76 minutes, but by then it was Arsenal’s discipline and resolve which was more notable. They weren’t about to allow this moment of triumph to slip away. Yet if they could show that character more often, then no-one would be talking about their relative demise.
Kieran Trippier and Saed Kolasinac compete for an aerial ball during the early stages in rainy conditions in North London
Sanchez – potentially playing in his final derby at home for Arsenal – shields the ball from Spurs defender Sanchez
Aaron Ramsey was another Arsenal player who enjoyed a strong game, here dispossessing Christian Eriksen with a tackle
Mesut Ozil – another Arsenal star whose contract expires in the summer – passes under pressure from Jan Vertonghen
An Arsenal fan ignites a flare prior to the kick-off in the stands at the Emirates Stadium ahead of a fiercely competitive derby
Although Spurs improved in the second half, it was a disappointing day for the visitors as they conceded bragging rights
With 15 minutes remaining both Dele and Kane were replaced, neither having made a significant impact on the game
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino greet each other before the lunchtime kick-off