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Arsenal logo
Premier League | Gameweek 21
Jan 15, 2025 at 8pm UK
Emirates Stadium
Spurs logo

Arsenal
2 - 1
Spurs

Solanke (40' og.), Trossard (44')
Havertz (43'), Lewis-Skelly (87'), Magalhaes (90+2')
FT(HT: 2-1)
Heung-min (25')
Sarr (27')

Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham: Highlights, man of the match, stats as Gabriel stars in frenetic North London derby

North London Forever: Arsenal wastefulness unpunished in comeback derby win
© Imago
Arsenal move to within four points of Premier League leaders Liverpool thanks to a 2-1 comeback win over Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby.

Arsenal have moved to within four points of Premier League leaders Liverpool thanks to a 2-1 comeback win over Tottenham Hotspur in a typically pulsating North London derby at the Emirates.

Gooners experienced a disheartening sense of deja vu inside the opening 25 minutes, where Mikel Arteta's men were in the ascendancy but failed to truly test Antonin Kinsky, and Son Heung-min duly punished them.

However, the South Korean's volley triggered an immediate response from the hosts, who levelled in controversial circumstances through a Dominic Solanke own goal before Leandro Trossard blasted the Gunners ahead on the stroke of the break.

Ange Postecoglou responded by throwing caution to the wind - bringing on James Maddison and Brennan Johnson for Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma - but it was always Arsenal who looked the more likely to score again.

The hosts' profligacy reared its ugly head again as they ultimately declared at two, but Tottenham were even more toothless in attack and have now failed to win any of their last five Premier League games, remaining in an unlucky 13th place as a result.

Meanwhile, the overjoyed Gunners rise back above Nottingham Forest into second position in the Premier League table, four points behind leaders Liverpool, but the Reds still have that coveted game in hand.



SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and coach Carlos Cuesta react on January 15, 2025© Imago

Believe it or not, Arsenal had never beaten Spurs three times in a row in the Premier League before Wednesday's absorbing affair - the last time they did so in the top flight was back in 1989 - but that hoodoo has been deservedly banished.

Even though Tottenham travelled across the city on the back of consecutive wins while Arsenal had lost their previous knockout matches, form goes out of the window in such significant battles - as Gunners legend Ray Parlour stressed to us pre-match - and Arteta's men could not have been more up for the derby.

However, it would not have been a 2024-25 Arsenal display without some dominance from the men in red and white not being capitalised on, but Son's slick volley was the catalyst for a magnificent first-half turnaround, albeit one sparked by that controversial corner.

As Tottenham continued to concede possession in dangerous areas, Arteta's men could and should have punished their visitors further, but the likes of Kai Havertz, Odegaard and Raheem Sterling once again left their shooting boots at the training ground.

The need for a new attacker has never been so apparent, but Arsenal were fortunate that Tottenham's attacking play was even more blunt. While the Gunners chase down Liverpool at the top, their bitter rivals might just start looking over their shoulder.

If Manchester United - who are only one point worse off with a game in hand - have been mentioned in relegation conversations, should Spurs also be fearing a demotion dogfight?



ARSENAL VS. TOTTENHAM HIGHLIGHTS

Son Heung-min goal vs. Arsenal (25th min, Arsenal 0-1 Tottenham)

I think that is what they call against the run of play.

The hosts have been swarming over Spurs since the start, but the visitors serve up a Son-sized sucker punch, as the Lilywhites captain executes a brilliant deft volley from just inside the box after Arsenal failed to properly deal with a corner.

A deflection off of William Saliba did not help matters for David Raya, but Son could hardly care less as he tells the silenced Emirates crowd to pipe down.

Gabriel Magalhaes goal vs. Tottenham (40th min, Arsenal 1-1 Tottenham)

The Nicolas Jover special works its magic once again, but Tottenham have every right to feel incensed! Simon Hooper awards Arsenal a corner in front of the away end, but Trossard appeared to get the last touch rather than Pedro Porro.

Arsenal ensure that their stroke of luck is not wasted, as Declan Rice's quintessential perfect delivery to the back stick is met by Gabriel, who outmuscles Radu Dragusin and heads in the leveller via a deflection off of Solanke.

Leandro Trossard goal vs. Tottenham (44th min, Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham)

Trossard was involved in a contentious moment for Arsenal's equaliser, but there is nothing questionable about this fine hit from the Belgian!

Thomas Partey puts in a brilliant challenge on Bissouma to set Martin Odegaard away, and the captain picks out Trossard's run on the left flank with a crisp outside-of-the-boot pass.

Dragusin opts against closing down the angle, Sarr cannot get back in time, and the Arsenal man unleashes a terrific low strike which nestles into the far corner via Antonin Kinsky's glove.

The Spurs shot-stopper plants his face into the ground straight away; he knows he should have done better with that one.



MAN OF THE MATCH - GABRIEL MAGALHAES

Arsenal's Gabriel Magalhaes reacts on January 15, 2025© Imago

He may not go home with another goal next to his name, but Gabriel Magalhaes could not help but haunt Tottenham again, producing his signature feint and run to the back post to register yet another set-piece goal.

That pivotal header was one of three aerial duels that Gabriel won from three such battles, while he also put in three blocks and completed 89% of his passes, before breaking out into song and dance during the post-match pandemonium.

However, we cannot end this section without mentioning 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly, who could not have been more composed in his hybrid left-back role and evidently relished the occasion, firing up the crowd as he made his way off.



ARSENAL VS. TOTTENHAM MATCH STATS

Possession: Arsenal 53%-47% Tottenham
Shots: Arsenal 14-10 Tottenham
Shots on target: Arsenal 4-2 Tottenham
Corners: Arsenal 10-4 Tottenham
Fouls: Arsenal 16-9 Tottenham



BEST STATS







WHAT NEXT?

Still unbeaten at home in the Premier League this season, Arsenal endeavour to keep that sequence going against Unai Emery's Aston Villa on Saturday, seeking revenge for last season's crushing Emirates loss.

Meanwhile, Spurs will head to David Moyes's Everton on Sunday afternoon on the hunt for their first Premier League win since mid-December.


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Written by
Ben Knapton
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool29217169274270
2Arsenal301710355253061
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest30176750351557
4Chelsea29147853371649
5Manchester CityMan City29146955401548
6Newcastle UnitedNewcastle2814594738947
7Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton29121164842647
8Fulham3012994440445
9Aston Villa2912984145-445
10Bournemouth29128948361244
11Brentford29125125045541
12Crystal Palace2810993633339
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd30107133741-437
14Tottenham HotspurSpurs291041555431234
15Everton2971393236-434
16West Ham UnitedWest Ham3097143350-1734
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves3085174158-1729
18Ipswich TownIpswich2938182862-3417
19Leicester CityLeicester2945202565-4017
20Southampton2923242170-499


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