Lloris own goal helps clinical Gunners stretch lead at the top
BRAGGING RIGHTS: Arsenal players celebrate after Arsenal's Martin Odegaard, left, scored his side's second goal. Picture: AP Photo/Frank Augstein
A HUGO LLORIS howler of an own goal and a sweet Martin Odegaard strike sent Arsenal eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table and a huge 14 ahead of their local rivals.
This thoroughly convincing victory also marked the first time Arsenal have beaten their north London neighbours home and away in almost a decade.
Tottenham fans streamed out of the stadium in stunned silence before the final whistle, unable to fathom how this was the same Arsenal team they beat so convincingly here at the end of last season. Many of those who left booed the team off at the end as a fan from the Tottenham end tried to get on to the pitch to kick Arsenal keeper Aaron Ramsdale and a mass brawl ensued.
Antonio Conte's men are now five points behind fourth-placed Manchester United having played a game more.
Tottenham started well enough - for about five minutes anyway – but then Lloris made his first error and Arsenal were into their rhythm. He sliced a clearance to the edge of his own area and when the ball was hooked back in to present an open goal for Eddie Nketiah, the French keeper was fortunate the Arsenal man shot so tamely.
The outstanding Thomas Partey headed over the bar soon after and it seemed the men in red would score before too long.
It came with 14 minutes on the clock as another Hugo howler to end all Hugo howlers effectively gifted Arsenal a not undeserved lead by directing a Bukayo Saka shot into his own net in a haphazard fashion.
The World Cup winner has now made mistakes which have directly led to four goals against his own team this season. This time he could have let the ball go and escaped without even a shot on target.
As it was the England forward Saka was able to run away triumphantly to laugh with his captain Martin Odegaard with their new 'swish' basketball scoring party-piece.
Never take your eyes off a wounded animal, though, as Tottenham could and should have been back on level terms within a minute or two. Heung-Min Son found the ball at his feet, only eight yards out and just Ramsdale to beat. Like Nketiah before him, his shot was aimed too close to the keeper and Ramsdale saved well with his feet.
Arsenal sensed blood and went in pursuit of a second. Lloris saved superbly to his left from a long-range Odegaard strike.
Another impressive attack ended with the thud of Partey's sweetly struck volley against a post was so clean the noise could be heard in the press box at the other end of the season as Tottenham escaped again.
A few Tottenham fans began to let their discontent be heard but the majority stuck behind the side, urging them to find a way back in to the match.
And only one section of the stadium was making any noise at all when Odegaard struck another superb shot to double Arsenal's lead after 36 minutes.
It was another left foot strike from distance, similar to his earlier effort, but this time he kept it lower and closer to Lloris' left post and into the back of the net.
The Premier league comeback kings were, unsurprisingly, better at the start of the second half. Harry Kane, just as predictably, led the charge. The England forward chase every lost ball and produced a fine full-length save from Ramsdale with a well-struck right foot shot from distance.
The crowd were back in it too and Kane sent through to an over-lapping Sessegnon, who saw his first time shot brilliantly saved by a fully extended Ramsdale boot.
It appeared as though Kane felt he had to do it all on his own as he ran back to take throw ins too as he barked out instructions to bewildered team-mates Lloris redeemed some credibility with a few more saves – one great point-blank stop from Nketiah – but Ramsdale was ever sure-footed when Tottenham threatened at the other end.
It was a cracking derby in the second half as Tottenham finally made a fight of it, but they offered far too little, far too late.
: Lloris 3, Doherty 5 (Richarlison 71) , Hojbjerg 5, Son 5, Kane 7, Dier 5, Romero 5,m Sessegnon 5 (Perisic 76), Kulusevski 5 (Gil 88), Sarr 6 (Bissouma76), Lenglet 4 (Davies 88). Subs: Forster, Skipp, Sanchez, Royal
Ramsdale 8, White 6, Saliba 6, Gabriel 7, Zinchenko 8 (Tomiyasu 86), Partey 8, Xhaka 7, Odegaard 9 (Vieira 90), Saka 7, Martinelli 7 (Tierney 79), Nketiah 6 (Smith Rowe 90). Subs: Turner, Holding, Lokonga, Marquinhos, Smith.
: Craig Pawson 6 Att: 61,870
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