Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham
by Layth Yousif  
at Ashburton Grove

THE CHASE is on after Mikel Arteta hailed “sensational” Arsenal as the Gunners beat Spurs to win the north London Derby on Wednesday evening.

Arsenal showed huge reserves of character in staging a thrilling comeback victory, to ensure Arteta’s side beat their bitter rivals for the second time this season, while underlining their Premier League title credentials.

On a memorable midwinter’s evening in foggy Islington, the Gunners shrugged off a couple of disappointing cup performances, to move within four points of table-toppers Liverpool.

With Arne Slot’s side only drawing against Nottingham Forest earlier this week, and the Reds’ extra game in hand being the Merseyside derby next month, no wonder Arteta responded with an emphatic Yes when asked if his team were to be considered serious title contenders.

Arsenal showed resolve when responding after going a goal down completely against the run of play, when Son Heung Min’s shot was deflected off William Saliba past keeper David Raya after 25 minutes. The goal coming after Raya had blocked Dejan Kulesevski’s effort at the near post.

Yet, the Gunners aren’t set-piece kings for nothing, with their powerful response coming swiftly and decisively.

Gabriel rising to meet Declan Rice’s corner at the far post five minutes before the interval made it 1-1.

The equaliser coming after Spurs’ new 21-year-old keeper Antonin Kinsky completely failed to claim the inswinging ball, the £12.5 million new arrival languishing alone in a crowded box as the ball flew over his head, even if the final touch into the next appeared to come off Dominic Solanke.

Spurs could also lay claim that it shouldn’t have been a corner in the first place, with the last touch coming off Leandro Trossard, such are the vicissitudes of a north London derby.

Tails up, with a raucous stadium behind them, the rampant Gunners went 2-1 ahead four minutes later, when Trossard’s superb left-footed low-angled shot beat the now rattled Kinsky, who should have done much better to prevent the drive from just inside the box.

The home side’s dominance was showcased earlier in the move, when Thomas Partey won the ball from a ponderous Yves Bissouma in the heart of midfield, prior to an elegant flick with the outside of his left foot from captain Martin Odegaard that fed the clinical Trossard, who fired home with aplomb as the stadium further erupted with deep joy.  

Arsenal dominated the second half but failed to score a third, leaving Arteta to reflect that his side should have closed the game out far earlier, which saw Pedro Porro thud Raya’s near post in the closing seconds.

Speaking after the match, a visibly delighted Arteta said: “I’m very proud of the team.

“I thought we were sensational,” before adding: “I think we made our people very happy.”

However, there was no such consolation for the increasingly under fire Ange Postecoglu, as their struggles continue, after the crushing derby defeat made it six losses in Spurs’ last eight matches, leaving Arsenal’s vanquished rivals a mere five places off the relegation zone.

Speaking with his usual baffling posture of head and eyes down, thereby failing to address the questioner, a downbeat Postecoglu admitted after the match: “We weren't anywhere near the levels we should be today, especially in the first half, we were way too passive and allowed Arsenal to get into a rhythm.

“It was unacceptable in the first half that we could go out there in such a big game and be so passive. We haven't done that for quite a while in a game of football, and we paid a price for it.”