Emery makes himself at home in North London
Matches like this go a long way to forging football reputations and Unai Emery masterminded an emphatic victory to further justify Arsenal’s decision to make him their first choice to replace Arsene Wenger.
After his first North London derby the obsessive tactician can now look down on his noisy neighbours, albeit only on goal difference, after extending Arsenal’s run to 19 matches without defeat.
In a pulsating derby that had goals, controversy, and fights, Emery emerged supreme after sending his side out with an effective game plan to unsettle Tottenham from the off.
The high-tempo approach, again without Mesut Ozil, worked as they took the lead from a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang penalty and could have scored three, only to find themselves trailing at half-time to an Eric Dier goal and a dubious Harry Kane penalty.
Emery’s double substitution at the break changed the course of the game and second-half strikes from Alex Lacazette and Lucas Torreira sealed sorry Tottenham’s fate as they also had Jan Vertonghen sent off late on.
The Basque boss said afterwards that a sweet victory did not match being appointed Arsenal head coach in terms of “best days”, but it was one he, his players, and fans should enjoy “only for a short time”.
He explained: “I am already thinking of the match against Manchester United on Wednesday.
“This was a big victory, but above all we get three points like it was against Bournemouth last Sunday.
“We are only on the same points as Tottenham. Remember last week they beat Chelsea in a big match and now they are losing so it shows that Wednesday is now what we need to think about.”
His Tottenham counterpart Mauricio Pochettino put a brave face on defeat at the end of a three-game week in which victories over Chelsea and Inter Milan part explained their lethargy and also softened the blow.
When Dier headed in a 30th-minute equaliser to Aubameyang’s spot-kick after 10 minutes, which followed Vertonghen’s handball for which he was booked, the England midfielder’s provocative ‘finger to lips’ celebration aimed at the Arsenal fans sparked a mass scuffle, which Pochettino and much of his coaching staff ran the full length of the pitch to inspect.
Dier was the only player booked once calm was restored and asked why he got involved, the Argentine
insisted emotion had not got the better of him. He said: “I was trying to put calm in my players. I didn’t know what was going on but the moment I arrived it was relaxed and calm. My intention was to put calm. I do not know what upset people and I didn’t ask my players. I am sure the cameras will see. In that moment I wanted the players to continue to play.”
What emerged long after the managers’ press conferences was a police report that stated seven arrests had been made during the match and one following a missile being thrown on to the pitch — a banana aimed at Arsenal’s black goalscorer Aubameyang, when he also celebrated his goal in front of opposing supporters.
Tottenham took the lead with a penalty four minutes later when Heung-Min Son sent himself to the ground after Rob Holding failed to make contact, Kane scoring superbly from the spot.
Son’s further theatrics drew even more derision from the home supporters as referee Mike Dean’s decision-making grew increasingly erratic — against both sides.
Shkodran Mustafi had a header tipped on to the bar by a great save by Hugo Lloris in time added on and both sets of players were in need of a half-time break.
Emery, never slow to react, sent on Alex Lacazette and Aaron Ramsey for Iwobi and Mkhitaryan when play resumed in a sudden rainstorm.
But the changes did not immediately alter the flow of play as Holding was forced to head over his own bar to clear another Eriksen free-kick.
Captain Granit Xhaka was then booked for a foul on Dele Alli which means he is suspended for the midweek trip to Manchester United.
Kane’s ensuing free-kick was tipped over by Bernd Leno as Arsenal were chasing the match. And like Arsenal, Spurs were made to pay for their lack of precision in front of goal when Aubameyang scored a stunning 56th-minute equaliser.
Hector Bellerin threaded a pass forward to Ramsey, who hooked the ball inside to his Gabonese team-mate and his curling first-time shot left Lloris rooted.
Fingers are never far from the self-destruct button in the Arsenal defence, however, and Bellerin almost gifted Son a Tottenham third with 20 minutes to go, and Leno saved his team-mate with a full-length stop.
Juan Foyth, faultless for 75 minutes, then conceded
possession and ultimately allowed Lacazette the chance to fire in an unlikely Arsenal third from just outside the area — with the help of a
deflection off Dier.
Arsenal sensed blood and it was their star find Lucas Torreira who delivered the killer blow when he ran clear to drive a low shot in from an angle.
Vertonghen was sent off for a second bookable offence when he fouled Lacazette with five minutes to go. And in the end both coaches agreed the result was fair.
ARSENAL (3-4-2-1):
Leno 7; Mustafi 6 (Guendouzi 70, 6), Sokratis 6, Holding 7; Bellerin 6; Torreira 8, Xhaka 7, Kolasinac 6; Mkhitaryan 6 (Ramsey 45, 7), Iwobi 6 (Lacazette 45, 7); Aubameyang 8.
Subs not used:
Cech, Elneny, Lichtsteiner, Maitland-Niles.
TOTTENHAM (4-1-2-1-2):
Lloris 6; Aurier 5, Vertonghen 5, Foyth 6 , Davies 6 (Rose 82, 6); Dier 7; Sissoko 7, Alli 5 (Winks 79, 6); Eriksen 7; Son 6 (Lucas Moura 79, 6), Kane 6.
Subs not used:
Gazzaniga, Llorente, Walker-Peters.
Ref:
Mike Dean 4.
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