We have all been waiting for this one and it felt like it would never start. But finally it kicks off but the butterflies just won’t go away….
It got off to a very lively start and the first 20 minutes was end to end stuff, and both Kane and Lacazette both looking very dangerous, with our Frenchman getting the first shot on goal although it was well off target. But right away Kane cam closer down the other end but shot straight at Cech. Arsenal started to relax and increased the pressure, coming close a few times but both teams know its a derby game and the tackles are flying in. So it’s strange that the first booking doesn’t come until the half hour mark when Xhaka (who else?) fouled just once too often for Mike Dean.
Five minutes later Davinson Sanchez was lucky not to be carded as well after fouling Alexis, but was rightly punished when Ozil’s brilliant free kick was met by an equally brilliant header from Mustafi to put us 1-0 up, and the crowd goes crazy!
Five minutes later and Arsenal are 2-0 up but I still don’t know how Alexis managed to blast that ball past Lloris! Brilliant work from our best player, and it looks like the Gunners are well in control and well deserve their two-goal lead at the break. If we continue to play like this in the second half we should have no problem notching up our 11th League win in a row…
So the second half began with our opening goalscoring hero Mustafi getting booked for a high kick, despite actually getting the ball, so with Alexis also getting a yellow before the end of the first half we now have 3 players in danger for the next 40 minutes. Get Xhaka off lol.
Dembele has been a shadow compared to Ramset and Pochettino takes him off after an hour and puts the England youngster Winks on in his place. And Welbeck is warming up…..
Arsenal look like they are sitting back a bit and making Spurs try to find a way through, but the Gunners look to be very comfortable to be making the occasional forays into the Tottenham half. With 20 minutes to go Arsenal get the first attempt of the half but Alexis blasts it far and wide, and two minutes later the Chilean scuffed another chance and it goes straight to Lloris.
With 18 minutes to go Monreal gets booked for a clumsy lunge, and then Wenger makes his feelings known by taking off Lacazette for Coquelin, and the Spurs boss responds by bringing of Dele Alli and Harry Kane! Maybe Son will have a better chance of scoring and Kane has not scored in the NLD for the first time.
Arsenal cruise on until Ozil goes off for Iwobi to rapturous applause as he has just broken the record of assists in the Premier League at 45, and has now has 100 in his career. He is nailed on for the Man Of The Match….
Son gets a free shot with 5 minutes to go, but his rustiness shows by blasting it into the stands and it looks like Spurs have chance of coming back now. I’m not hearing a lot of Wenger Out chants at the moment. Where are all those ‘fans’ that were predicting we had no chance today, and suddenly Spurs are not looking like creating a big gap after all….
Sanchez nearly walked one into the net in extra time, and Iwobi had a chance to add to his two goals for Nigeria in midweek, but he must have left his shooting boots on the plane.
Arsenal are right back in the fight for the Top Four again, and continue their dominance over Spurs at the Emirates.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS!
Arsenal were fully deserved their win. Their determination in the first half has made them collected many yellow cards.
Tottenham put heavy pressure at the beginning, but worn off quickly. I think the Champions League and the international matches have drained their energy, and some of their players were also unfit.
I think Ozil got one assist under his name from the set pieces, for Mustafi’s header. Lacazette also produced a good assist for Sanchez, after getting a good through ball from a Gunner (I think it was Xhaka?).
Sanchez was creative and very determined in the first half, till he got a yellow card. It would be difficult to get his replacement later, since he is so influential. The defenders were also very good.
thank you wenger . thank u ozil. thank you arsenal
happiest ive been since fa cup win
THANK YOU
I have pumps all over my body after the game! Outstanding!
Mustafi despite just coming back from injury, Kept Kane and Eriksen in his pocket.
For the first half, Ramsey n Xhaka very poor as usual, I thought I saw Koscienly playing 4 in the first half. He was always coming to the midfield to mark.
Glad for Ozil.
Glad for the team.
Who are those who still doubts Iwobi has a brighter future??
Should shut those up who want Sanchez and ozil,out … Hundred per cent effort across the board … Defence were massive … But xhaka ain’t got no future here
I think Mustafi, Monreal, Koscielny, Kolasinac and Bellerin worked very hard tonight. They are the unsung heroes and deserved the credits.
totally agree we kept kane alle and eriksen out
must show the back line our thanks 🙂
What part of Iwobi’s game are you impressed with?
The first ball he got he pass to Spurs and then he spurned 2 good chances
Very impressive !!!!!
Bloody awesome! I hold my hands up… I should have had more faith in my team!
Buzzing now!!! FOYS
Outstanding performance! Am going to enjoy this one first! Everyone played with every part of their body. Beautiful to watch and beautiful to enjoy!
Well done guys, you put your heart on the sleeve this game. Commitment was 100% from all players.
Why can’t we show this commitment every game?
If Ozil plays like this every game then I don’t want him to go, hope he backs it up in coming games.
Up Gunners!
Everyone played fantastic.
MUSTAFI!!!
who saw sanchez’s klinsmann dive at the end chasing the ball out of play?
dammit im mad at him, but that made me smile
cheeky chilean
He showed a world class first touch when receiving the long ball while running from Davinson Sanchez. Arsenal should get more skillful players that possess brilliant first touches like him.
Mustafi plays, no problem!
My man of the match…weldone
Nice one boys lets see that determination and energy every game ??
There are wins, and there are wins! This game I will remember for a very long time because of the way Wenger’s tactics came on and what every single player gave. I pray we don’t go back from here! My weekend is started!!
It will be difficult replacing Alexis and Ozil. I believe this is why most of our fans are upset with the club and players. Why can’t we play like this all the time? Turn up and fight the big teams then get beaten by Watford. We need consistency if we are to compete effectively. Extremely happy with the win though. COYG
leicester played with this effort every game- won the league
if we played this way every game – even half our games
in last decade- how many titles could have been?!
can beat anyone on our day – frustrating
Most the fans don’t deserve it but the staff at Arsenal do deserve this joy! 8 home games undefeated against Spurs now and a 4 year record that reads 5 Arsenal wins 2 spurs wins and the rest draws in all competitions. A 4 year period in which Spurs won nothing but Arsenal won 3 fa cups. Still you should ignore all of that because Wenger is past it and Poch is god. The balance of power has clearly shifted (despite no evidence by any measue except last seasons table which is the only measure spurs win.)
Would love to see the fan reaction if the results were reversed! Poch has won the FA cup 3 times with spurs what have we done? They finished above us 3 out of the last 4 years what does it matter we finished 2nd without challenging for the title? We bottled the title verus Leiceser and finished below them in the end before that! It’s kind of pathetic that we live in a reality where the reverse of this is true and the fans are up in arms.
Fair comment as far as it goes BUT you have to take fully into account where both the clubs were before the last 4 years and comparative status / and realistic expectations by fans. When you factor that crucial matter into the equation, it makes the disappointment at Arsenal and the over hype at Spurs more understandable. I do firmly though , believe that to overatake Arsenal as top club in North London -NOT TEAM, BUT CLUB,- Spurs will need to win countless titles, FA cups and CL. If I were giving odds as to whether this is likely in the next twenty years, let us say, I would prefer my chances of winning the National Lottery; even though I never buy tickets!
Realistic expectation is kind of my point before Wenger our realistic expectation was roughly the same as Spurs although maybe a little better certainly there were many teams with better expectation. I mean we finished 5th the year before he took over and we were not in top 4 (a far softer thing then) financially for sure probably way lower! In terms of recent history/expectation the 4th richest (purely from Wenger I might add and 2nd in a world without oil) team we’ve not under performed at all in fact our total league points and FA cups are outperforming our 4th richest status. Its the 4th richest status and what that means in reality that most fans struggle with. The bs they spout about tactics blah blah does not stand up to any scrutiny compared with other teams or managers. Every league has a Leicester once every 20 or so years that really doesn’t change much.
If we had a new coach from the begining of the year 2017: and then beat ManCity (Pep G) in FA cup semi; Beat Chelsea in FA Cup final (Conte), beat Chelsea (Conte) in Comm Shield Cup game, pull a draw at Stamford bridge (Conte), Pull a draw at Old Trafford (with Mourinho); beat Tottenham (Poch),…..some fans will be celebrating new coach as genius – claiming he is the one turning things around. Trust your team, celebrate your team, support your team, believe in your coach. He has won more trophies than any other coach in the last 4 seasons. Yes, Tottenham beat Real Madrid recently (and so?): Arsenal beat certain hot Barcelona and AC Milan all in the last 6 seasons. Meanwhile, I need Tottenham to show me the trophies…..
Ozil take a bow son. Never seen the guy so invested, multiple tackles and good interventions in front of our box. He gave everything he had on the pitch and the standing ovation was magnificent, he sure felt the love.
Sanchez was sanchez and would have a hattrick if not for a super lloris. Never thought I would see an ozil in sanchez mode.
Cech super saves at the important times, that leap was incredible.
pretty surprise that Kos and Illoris arent best of friends at the tunnel
Alexis when/if you’re gone I’ll remember this goal against Spurs. Thank you!
Why can’t we play the spuds every week ??
Brilliant!!! The challenge for the team and the manager is to continue playing like this for rest of the season…
Good to see those that have predicted arsenal whipping are singing new song. This team has it in them. Support the team not the manager.
Isn’t the manager a part of the team?
NO… he is the manager
Technically , he is obviously not, since he does not play, BUT the manager is always the most important person at any club.
That was the best we have played for a long time.
Top marks to the boss and the team
Anyone know what the crowd started cheering at the end of the game?
That’s why we are always angry. We have the personnel to make us contenders but they hardly show up.
But we are happy and they should be happy too from the reaction of fans.
A happy evening@Jibs. I predicted 2 neat zero win and agreed. It has come to pass.
Spectacular display from gunners.hope we do this consistently
where are the spurs/ pocchetino-lovers? crying with your fellow fans…?COYG!
Today, like many times in the past, i have seen out weaklink. A one Granit xhaka. Too slow and very distracted.
Cheers for Mustafi.. He is something undeniable..!
i was a gooner because we had a historic nature of winning.
one win doesn’t make it all..
shame you’re no longer a gooner …
The Arsenal squad is not bad by any standard, the only lacking ingredient is committed consistence. Today’s game was won not because the players were so fantastic, they were just absolutely committed and hungry. That is what we are asking Wenger to instill in them.
Today is one of those days you pray shouldn’t end. There is a feeling that comes with beating spuds if you a true gunner.
Well done boys
A wonderful performance. We handled everything Spurs threw at us
Thoughts on the game: Our best perf from whole team in God knows how many years. Proud to be a Gooner for only about the third time this season( Chelsea and Everton were the others but this was the best by a country mile). Undoubted proof that we therefore, should be seriously challenging at the very top, instead of being 12 points(before game) off the pace. Also proof that our usual tepid in and out form is down to lack of motivation/ desire alone. No other possible cause. If a manager can not motivate his players all the time to give their best, then he should not be a manager. Who can argue with that! Finally, are any /many of us even that surprised by the glorious perf today? We have been here before, (though not for some time) but it never lasts and there is the whole problem. Being a Gooner is the most frustrating thing ever, in football., since this was, arguably, the best league perf since The Invincibles era. If anyone has a true idea which Arsenal will turn up – or not- at Burnley next week, will they please let me know, cos I have not the faintest idea!
Glad you enjoyed the match Jon. I totally agree about which Arsenal will turn up & how frustrating it is! One thing’s for sure… north London is red!!
Fun fact this is our longest home winning spree since we moved to the Emirates. Home fans have not had it better since nov 2005 but yeah so frustrating for those home fans not knowing who will turn up right? Maybe you were talking about us against Spurs? Arsenal’s now undefeated stretch of 8 home games against Spurs clearly gave you cause for concern on who would turn up? Why let facts get in the way of popular bs! Who cares that Klopp/Poch/Mourinho have performed worse than Wenger recently, he’s past it. They are gods!
You claim, through your profile name, to be realistic. But that is exactly what you are not. I have not seen you on here before but as soon as we put in ONE blinding and glorious perf, you start telling us proper realists that we are not realistic but that you are. Hilarious were it not so sad! A question for you if I may; Why exactly do you believe the whole vast majority of Goonrs on this and all forums want Wenger gone? Do you actually think we are wrong when we say he can’t motivate players to try their best, and regularly? Today was perfect proof of what we can do when the team is all motivated. But you have to go back ages to find similar and that is one (of many) reasons wh who want Wenger out think as we do. IF , MIND i say IF he could regularly motivate the team to try and to run their socks off for the shirt , we would not want him out. But he doesn ‘s and so we , who ARE REALISTS, want him out. Care to answer my question though please?
If you can show me any evidence to back up the claim we have under performed as the 4th richest club I would be happy to see it by every measure we are 4th or better in the last 4 years literally every measure, titles, points, fin pos, gs, gc, gd etc think perhaps we might be 5th in results against the big 6 but that is a pretty meaningless if your performing as expected or better in every other more important category. Reality is your not a REALIST your just entitled and refuse to accept the new status quo that we are the 4th richest team. The vast majority of fans want Wenger gone because they have not come to terms with the effect the oil money had on the natural pecking order and because he is a victim of his over achieving in his early years leading to unwarranted expectations. That is it and a change in manager will not change that just like it hasn’t for Spurs or Liverpool. Reminds me a lot of Valencia in Spain actually another entitled fan base that expects their team to vastly outperform their financial status. Unlike us they do regularly sack their managers. Hasn’t worked for them, why would it be different for us? Only realistic thing the up in arms fans do say is we’d better of without Kronke, it’s pretty obvious if Usamov was pumping money into the club things would be different but until that happens expectations should be set according to the situation the manager/team find themselves operating in. Lets be real here though it’s still nothing but entitled to complain that you don’t have a sugar daddy and can only live through your means, c’mon! Ours fans are embarrassment especially as there are only 3 clubs that have it better in the league and United haven’t really had it better recently anyway. Imagine if you were a Newcastle fan, a club I might add that was richer than us when Wenger took over! Or a Everton fan? A club that had won more trophies than us before Wenger took over and lets not start on Liverpool who were massively more successful historically and richer when Wenger took over! But keep telling yourself your a realist because you cling to unrealistic expectations that we actually have no right to have either historically or financially.
Downvotes but seriously we are on our longest home winning spree for 12 years! Are you guys seriously trying to question our home form and who will turn up? Would be funny if it wasn’t so sad.
Well done boys amazing.
Wish we could play like that every week
We may not finish top 4 but we got our North London pride
Where are all the Mustafi haters?
Everyday I read Vitriolic remarks for Mustafi.
And Ozil for that matter.
COYG
I reckon if Lacazette had stayed on, with the chances that came Iwobi’s way and the mood that Alexis was in towards the end there –
Lacazette would likely have been found within space and I reckon he’d have gotten at least one if not a quickfire double. A strikers confidence can be a delicate thing –
they live and die off the goals they score. He has one of the greatest stats you can have for top players, am not mad about most stats – but one I really like is – (a strikers goals) –
How many efforts he took along the way reaching that tally.
This lad could be a killer. I’m talking R Madrid type stuff – or Aguero Anelka type killer. The thousand yard stare. He has other aspects he needs to work on, like core strength for one.
But even though he’s good at linking up with players ..I want him to be a greedy little motha-focka. Wenger needs to let the dog loose already, let him off the chain yo!! like a party over Muffdivers gaff.
credit to wenger for team selection . thats all he did . discipline in the defence . Mustafi/Kosicelny MOM . BTW sissoko is so good , arsenal should go for him . wat a pace/enerygy
Gr8 win..!!!! Absolutely buzzing..!! Ozil..I knew he was up for today when he made Dembele run the ball outside for a throw by pushing..he was at it today..!!! <3
If we had a new coach from the begining of the year 2017: and then beat ManCity (Pep G) in FA cup semi; Beat Chelsea in FA Cup final (Conte), beat Chelsea (Conte) in Comm Shield Cup game, pull a draw at Stamford bridge (Conte), Pull a draw at Old Trafford (with Mourinho); beat Tottenham (Poch),…..some fans will be celebrating new coach as genius – claiming he is the one turning things around. Trust your team, celebrate your team, support your team, believe in your coach. He has won more trophies than any other coach in the last 4 seasons. Yes, Tottenham beat Real Madrid recently (and so?): Arsenal beat certain hot Barcelona and AC Milan all in the last 6 seasons. Meanwhile, I need Tottenham to show me the trophies…..
Sanchez is my man of the match, not Ozil
I’d go for Kosicelny man of the match but they all played well as a team
Well done Arsene !
the whole back five including Cech are my men of the match. Never seen us defend so assuredlyand doggedly.two players sliding in on Kane at the same time, cutting out every ball crossed in except the one that fell for Loriente.
How about Shelvey to replace Xhaka.
Less skillful and even more hotheaded
So where have you been all season Ozil???
I predicted 2-0 to Spurs.
Happy that Arsenal won, but fortunate with the ‘foul’ and the offside. Luck was on our side this afternoon. I also feel Alderweireld was a big miss for Spurs, like Koscielny would be for us. Kos was outstanding today after a nervous start.
Despite this, we thoroughly deserved the win and while it was typical that arsenal won, we need consistency and more of this intensity of performance as often as possible. Especially against the bigger teams. Wenger got his tactics spot on.
Great team effort and great focus. I could see Spurs were playing under heavy pressure. We made them less confident. We can do this if we are 100% committed.
I would have loved it even better if we had scored one more in the second half.
Just one little thought: I wished it had not been Lacazette, but instead Xhaka, who was replaced with Coquelin. Xhaka was booked and it kept me worried that he could be sent off with another. Lacazette looked unsatisfied when he found it was him, again. Has he ever played full 90 minutes? It’s about mental management of the top level striker.