Arsenal strike back

Arsenal 1 Tottenham 0

Instead, they had simply struck a telling blow against their nearest neighbours, reasserting local superiority that had apparently been threatened by contrasting fortunes in the summer transfer market.

Olivier Giroud’s 23rd minute goal was enough to settle the game and trigger a reaction that was in stark contrast to the jeers that followed Arsenal’s previous home league game, the opening day defeat to Aston Villa.

Then, the anger was focused on Wenger’s failure to spend.

That situation remains unchanged, although Wenger once again insisted he was confident he might conclude a significant signing before the transfer window closes today, but, at least, it was forgotten.

The question remains whether this victory will be seen to have papered over cracks at the Emirates Stadium or offered a more realistic assessment of the quality within Wenger’s admittedly thin squad.

The coming months will provide the answer but yesterday, Wenger declared himself satisfied.

“It was a very important game for us, it was our fourth game in two weeks, and I knew that maybe in the last 20 minutes we could suffer a bit physically, but overall it was a convincing win in a very intense game,” said the manager.

“We showed aspects from our game that people are not used to seeing from us, that means commitment, desire, defending.

“Overall their keeper was their best player. So that shows that we had the chances to win really comfortably today.”

Certainly Arsenal were made to fight for this win. Dominant in the opening half hour, they faced a more determined Tottenham after the break. A frantic late flurry brought intense Tottenham pressure, matched by equally intense Arsenal resistance. The arm wrestle continued through what seemed like an extended period of added time with Wenger’s side refusing to wilt.

Tottenham, their squad bolstered by a clutch of new faces, struggled to gain momentum and were repeatedly undone in the first half, conceding their first goal in 560 minutes of football since Steven Nzonzi’s strike for Stoke in the penultimate game of last season, a statistic rendered even more remarkable given the help the visitors’ provided Arsenal in creating the opening.

Tomas Rosicky led a fast break and was able to play Theo Walcott into yards of pace behind left-back Danny Rose because of Michael Dawson’s failure to maintain the defensive line and with Jan Vertonghan failing to track the run, an unchallenged Walcott was allowed to deliver a low cross towards Giroud who flicked the ball home left footed at the near post.

Tottenham failed to learn from the incident and Walcott continued to make life uncomfortable for Rose. The winger repeatedly broke beyond the defender and Spurs were grateful for Hugo Lloris’s reactions when the keeper raced out of his box to snuff out the danger after Walcott had again been played clear.

At that point Wenger’s pre-match suggestion that it can be difficult to incorporate more than three signings into a side looked well founded although Andre Villas-Boas denied this was a problem.

“It’s not a concern,” said the Tottenham manager. “It’s something that we have to work on. At the moment it’s difficult because of the international break but I think it will come with time because the ability is there from all of the players.”

Walcott and Giroud were the game’s two outstanding players and while they had fewer opportunities after the restart, they did produce the best opportunities of the second half with Lloris twice coming to his side’s rescue again.

Tottenham upped the moment the longer the game went on but struggled to create clear openings. “The fairest result would be a draw bearing in mind what we did in the second half,” said Villas-Boas.

“In the first half Arsenal were very strong. It was difficult for us to control their pace. As soon as we started to control the game we started creating. The second half was all ours.

“We put pressure on their goal but there were not enough clear-cut chances.”

ARSENAL (4-2-3-1): Szczesny 6; Jenkinson 7, Mertesacker 6, Koscielny 7, Gibbs 7; Wilshere 6 (Flamini 44, 6), Ramsey 8; Walcott 9 (Sagna 90, 6), Cazorla 6, Rosicky 7 (Monreal 78, 6); Giroud 8.

TOTTENHAM (4-1-4-1): Lloris 8; Walker 5, Dawson 5, Vertonghen 5, Rose 6; Capoue 6 (Sandro 74, 6), Townsend 6 (Lamela 74,6), Paulinho 7, Dembele 6 (Defoe 69,6), Chadli 6; Soldado 6.