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!