ARTHETA STABILITY
After Manchester City’s surprisingly not-so-surprise defeat in the Mancunian derby, the Gunners have an impressive chance to break away from their closest pursuer and thus make a serious bid for the league title. But for this it was necessary to win the North London derby.
Mikel Arteta this season can boast of the stability of the composition, which is facilitated by a small number of injuries. Thanks to this, the played links and lines are not broken, and the coach himself does not artificially destroy them. As expected, he did it this time, choosing the most familiar faces. Except that instead of the injured Gabriel Jesús, logically Eddie Nketia appeared in the center of the attack, but this is not a surprise either.
Antonio Conte has more problems. For example, Lucas Moura is not there (although judging by the club’s unwillingness to renew his expiring contract, the team does not see it as a problem), Rodrigo Bentancur, and Richarlison and Yves Bissuma, who were injured, they stayed on the field. work table. Thus, compared to the previous game, Conte made a double change, freeing Pape Sarra (midfield) and Ryan Sesegnon (left back). As they joked in England, the choice fell on them because nobody expected it.
WHAT A BEAUTIFUL SAKA!
The rojiblancos started the game with a good attitude and delivered the ball very well to the penalty area. In the initial segment, the statistics of touches in the penalty area were revealing: 10:0 in favor of the guests (19:1 for the 43rd minute). So, although the quick goal was very curious, it did not go beyond the logic of the game. And it was marked by Hugo Lloris, who crossed the goal line after an unpromising cross from Bukayo Saka. For the Frenchman, this is the first own goal in the Premier League.
For all the curiosity of what happened, the justice is also in that Saka resoundingly tore the right wing, where Sesegnon and Clement Lenglet acted against him as a left center back. The winger participated in almost all of Arsenal’s attacks, and of course in those that can be called dangerous.
Pierre-Emile Heybjerg began to sink further, securing partners, but instead he left the support zone free, from where Martin Odegaard and Thomas Parti were batting dangerously. The first shot Lloris took from the near corner, and the second (crazy force) hit the post.
Sooner or later, the guests had to punish the opponent for such laxity in their own half of the field. In the 36th minute, all the terms came together: Saka sprinted away down the right side, pulling Sarr towards him and rolling Edegora into the middle, putting the ball into the corner with a biting click. Absolutely logical, the 2-0 break announced that Arteta’s team was currently eight points ahead of City.
The Spurs are not lost, but one Kane is not enough
At the same time, Tottenham, although they can cross out the first half of their record, even in such a situation they managed to create two goal chances, but Aaron Ramsdale outplayed Son Heung-Min one-on-one, who was sent off by Seseñon, and passed the ball went over the crossbar after a dangerous header from Harry Kane.
As is often the case this season, Spurs added a lot again after the break and created two more chances. And again, Ramsdale was on top, parrying Kane’s shot from a convenient height from outside the penalty area and Sesenyon’s shot, which went down with him in a one-on-one (assisted by the wily Kane). Granted, even just listing these episodes shows that Tottenham weren’t desperate.
It is no coincidence that Conte was without substitutions for 70 minutes, but he did not wait for the goals and sent Richarlison to the field, for whom this match was the first in 2023, and soon put Bissum and Ivan Perisic into battle. But it was too late. By this time, the hosts’ playing advantage had vanished.
The Gunners adapted to the game, moving it away from their goal and in the end, although not without difficulty, they kept the winning result. And this is a real bet on the championship, which in a week will have to be confirmed in a match with Manchester United. Perhaps at the moment these are the two teams that play the most in the Premier League.
APP. twentieth round
Tottenham – Arsenal – 0:2 (0:2)
Goals: Lloris, 14 – own goal – 0:1. Odegaard, 36 – 0:2.
Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Romero, Dier, Lenglet (Davis 88), Doherty (Richarlison 71), Sarr (Byssuma 76), Heubjerg, Sesenyon (Perisic 76), Kuluszewski (Gil 88), Son Heung Min, Kane.
Arsenal: Ramsdale, White, Saliba, Magalhance, Zinchenko (Tomiyasu 86), Party, Jaga, Odegaard (Fabio Vieira 90+4), Saka, Martinelli (Tierney 79), Nketiah (Smith Row 90+) four).
Warnings: Romero, 35. Seasonon, 45+1. Sarr, 53. Martinelli, 70. Dyer, 73.
Referee: Pawson.
