Gabriel soars for an old-school one-nil to the Arsenal in derby
Arsenal's Gabriel celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Premier League match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Photo: John Walton/PA Wire.Â
MIKEL ARTÉTA loves a club record. A Gabriel header from a second-half corner settled this one as his set-piece specialists made it three consecutive wins at Tottenham for the first time in 36 years.Â
Arsenal have scored 23 goals from set-pieces (excluding penalties) since the start of last season in the Premier League - the most of any side.
Like last season, when Ange Postecoglou’s side had most possession, Arsenal secured this important victory without dominating the match. Tottenham had seven corners to Arsenal’s six yet rarely looked like troubling the goal.
No wonder manager, players and supporters alike celebrated long and hard after such a hard-fought victory at the start of a week that takes them to Italy in the Champions League and then to Manchester City in next weekend’s big match.
It was all too disappointing for the expectant Tottenham supporters, hoping to bounce back from their defeat by Newcastle before the international break.
Such has been their struggles here in recent seasons the home fans were cheering when they cleared a first-minute corner, mindful of how they conceded two in similar fashion last season.
And they were all out of their seats again soon after when a break down the left ended in Heung-Min Son laying on a chance for Dejan Kulusevski which was comfortably saved by David Raya.
The Spanish keeper made a more impressive reaction save from a Brennan Johnson flick. Arsenal broke dangerously to free Bukayo Saka in space on the right. Nothing came of it but it was a typically breathless start from this fixture that rarely disappoints.
Arsenal had it all to do in midfield with captain Martin Odegaard out injured and Declan Rice suspended. Players such as Riccardo Calafiori and Olek Zinchenko who might have stepped in were also sidelined – both with calf problems. Defenders Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu are yet to feature in a squad this season.
Tottenham, with record signing Dominic Solanke and key defender Micky van den Ven fit again had an excellent opportunity to avoid a third consecutive defeat in this fixture. It took relatively straightforward saves from Guglielmo Vicario from Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli to keep things level, though.
Arsenal badly missed their midfield mainstays and Tottenham, as they usually do at home, had far more of the possession. They pressed so well too that Arsenal found it difficult to play out from their own defence. It was frantic derby football. Not the highest quality but relentlessly exciting all the same.
Referee Jarred Gillett struggled to keep pace and tried to keep control by booking players (seven in the first half alone) from both sides at the first hint of a foul. It boiled over briefly before half-time when Vicario took exception to a Jurrien Timber tackle on Pedro Porro and sparked a penalty area mass shoving session.
It backfired as Arsenal came out of it the better side going into the break with Havertz causing a series of problems for the Tottenham defence. Johnson had an enticing chance to break the deadlock but failed to hit the target with a wasteful shot.
Tottenham dominated at the start of the second half and forced a series of corners from attacking positions. Then Arsenal showed them how to take advantage of set-pieces when Gabriel headed his side in front with 65 minutes on the clock. Saka’s wing skills won them the set-piece and the England man took the corner too. Arteta’s set-piece masters sent the Tottenham defence dizzy darting around the box before the Brazil defender rose to head in past Vicario, rooted to his line without a chance of saving the ball.
Arsenal turned the screw after taking the lead, keeping some possession for spell as their packed pocket of a few thousand in a corner of the stadium finally outsung the massed home faithful. ‘Our centre half, he’ll give you hell. Our wall at the back is Gabriel’ was the chant of choice.
Postecoglou made a few changes, but they had little impact on the game. Arteta made a statement of his ambition and the attacking depth of his squad when he sent on Gabriel Jesus and debutant Raheem Sterling with 80 minutes gone.
Vicario 6, Porro 6, Van de Ven 6, Romero 6, Udogie 6, Bentancur 5 (Sarr 68), Maddison 6 (Werner 80), Kulusevski 7, Johnson 6 (Odobert 68), Son 7, Solanke 6.Â
Forster, Spence, Davies, Dragusin, Gray, Bergvall.
Raya 7, White 5, Saliba 7, Gabriel 6, Timber 6, Partey 6, Jorginho 7, Havertz 7, Saka 6 (Nwaneri 86), Trossard 6 (Jesus, 80), Martinelli 6 (Sterling 80).Â
Neto, Kiwior, Kacurri, Heaven, Lewis-Skelly, Kabia.
Jarred Gillett 5
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