Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal. Premier League.
Tottenham Hotspur StadiumAttendance61,645.
Report and free match highlights as Arsenal claim a 1-0 win over Tottenham in a pulsating North London derby; Gabriel Magalhaes headed the winner from a Bukayo Saka corner as the visitors produced an excellent defensive display
Monday 16 September 2024 06:18, UK
Mikel Arteta praised Arsenal's willingness to win ugly as Gabriel Magalhaes's header secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Tottenham in a fiery North London derby.
Arsenal centre-back Gabriel rose above Cristiano Romero to power home Bukayo Saka's corner midway through the second half as Tottenham's set-piece frailty proved costly again.
The goal came from one of few clear chances in a tense and dogged encounter which featured eight yellow cards, including seven in the first half, equalling a Premier League record.
Tottenham started the game strongly but couldn't find a breakthrough as David Raya denied Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke sent a looping header just past the post.
Those first-half chances were as close as they came, bar a late, long-range effort from Kulusevski which flew narrowly over, as Arsenal, without the injured Martin Odegaard and the suspended Declan Rice, produced an outstanding defensive display, led by scorer Gabriel and his centre-back partner William Saliba, leaving Arteta to praise his team's fighting spirit.
"The people that we have are harder, they have thick skin, they love the game and they love winning," said Arteta in his press conference.
"In order to love the game and win, you have to do a lot of things - sometimes people call them ugly. Enjoying doing those ugly things is a big compliment of this team right now, and when you're able to normally, you get a good gift."
The victory, Arsenal's third in a row at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, ensures Mikel Arteta's side remain within two points of champions Manchester City ahead of next Sunday's blockbuster showdown at the Etihad Stadium, which is live on Sky Sports.
Ange Postecoglou's side, meanwhile, are left with only four points from their first four Premier League games of the season, making it Tottenham's worst start to a campaign since the 2015/16 season under Mauricio Pochettino.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta to Sky Sports:
"The resilience that we showed - we knew it would be a tough match and that made it easier. They create an unbelievable atmosphere. We should have done more in the first half, but we knew we were a bit threat on set-plays and knew we could hurt them.
"We weren't our best with the ball today, we did a lot of simple things wrong that didn't allow us to have that continuity. They jump and press every single ball which makes it difficult. The way we defended was so strong.
"It's a real compliment to the team. Any player in any area of the pitch is ready to do what a lot of people call 'the ugly things' and they enjoy to do that part of the game. Then you start to be a complete team to win in any context.
"I'm delighted, because the team over a season has to go over a lot of hurdles. It was difficult because we have lost a lot of important players for us. Those who waited for the chance trained and behaved in the right manner. This is the result."
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou to Sky Sports:
"Very disappointing obviously. It was a big game for us and our supporters but we didn't deliver so you have to take the pain of that. Disappointment all round.
"The story of our season so far. For the most part we controlled it and created chances but we lacked a bit of belief and conviction in the final third. That's up for me to fix. It was always going to be a tight game decided by moments. They got the moment, we didn't.
"It's my directive, so it's me who has to try to give the side the feedback. I don't think it's for a lack of trying from the lads. But we're going through an early part of the season where we're controlling games, dominating but not getting our reward for it."
Sky Sports' Nick Wright:
It was probably fitting that the game was decided by a set-piece. One of Arsenal's biggest strengths remains a perplexing weakness for Postecoglou's Spurs.
Gabriel's header, powered home from inside the Spurs six-yard box from Saka's inswinging delivery, was the 24th set-piece goal Arsenal have scored in the Premier League since the start of last season, the most by any side in the division.
From Spurs' perspective, it was the 18th set-piece goal they have conceded in the same timeframe, the second-highest total among ever-present Premier League clubs. Even more damning is that, since the turn of the year, Postecoglou's side have conceded a staggering 13 times from corners - the second-highest total in the division.
The writing had been on the wall, with Arsenal causing repeated problems from corners at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, even before Cristian Romero went to sleep and Gabriel rose highest to send his close-range header crashing into the net.
Following on from their 3-2 win in April, three of Arsenal's last four Premier League goals against Tottenham have been from corners. It is the same number of corner goals they scored in the previous 88 North London derbies, underlining the extent of the problem for Spurs - and the scale of Arsenal's dead-ball threat.
