Arsenal beat Tottenham by a score of 2-1 at the Emirates on Wednesday, clinching the season sweep over their North London rivals for the second time in three years. The win helps Arsenal shake off their recent eliminations from both the FA and Carabao Cups and bring them back up to second in the Premier League table.
A big home victory in the North London Derby could be the catalyst Arsenal needs to mount a true title challenge. But the cracks are still there, and it doesn’t seem like they’ll be filled anytime soon.
Match Recap
Arsenal dominated many aspects of the match from the start. Mikel Arteta’s side set a high press from the first few minutes on, winning possession battles quickly and carving out a few half chances early on.
The first 20 minutes set a not unexpected dynamic of Arsenal passing side to side in Tottenham’s half of the field, interrupted by the occasional overhit cross or Spurs counter attack. Then we got some goals, and some of the same old Arsenal.
Tottenham hit first in the 25th minute. Arsenal’s passive defense let midfielder Pape Sarr run the length of the field with the ball with no pressure and win a corner kick. The set piece resulted in Son Heung-Min’s heavily deflected shot hitting the back of the net.
Arsenal took 15 minutes to respond. Leandro Trossard won the home team a controversial corner kick, as replays showed the ball hit the Arsenal forward last before crossing the endline. Fortunately for Arsenal, VAR doesn’t check for possession, and they equalized through their trademark corner kick play designed for Gabriel to score, or in this case force a Dominic Solanke own goal.
Four minutes later, Trossard scored in an uncharacteristically successful counterattack to take the lead just before halftime. His shot took a shooter’s bounce over PL debutant Antonin Kinsky’s glove, who otherwise had a decent outing having signed for Tottenham earlier this month.
The second half mirrored much of the beginning of the first. Arsenal held an abundance of non-threatening possession while an emboldened Tottenham defended for the chance to launch something resembling a counter attack.
Each team had a clear chance to add to their respective tallies. Solanke was rejected by a last ditch Gabriel tackle in the 73rd minute. Ten minutes later, Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard received a cross with space at the penalty spot, but somehow put it wide.
Tempers flared when Arsenal youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly, who has played consistently well in his stretch of appearances this season, was subbed off for Oleksandr Zinchenko in the 87th minute. Tottenham took offense to the fact that Lewis-Skelly wasn’t taking the fastest route of the field. The defender then took the opportunity to pump up the crowd on his walk back to the bench.
Tottenham defender Pedro Porro gave Arsenal fans one last moment of panic in the last minutes of the game by hitting the post from an acute angle. Ultimately, the Gunners saw out the victory, bringing them within four points of league leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand.
My Takeaways
Arsenal got over their small hump of disappointing results, which is always a positive. However, there weren’t very many signs that they’ve fixed the deeper rooted issues with their recent form. These are my biggest takeaways from the good-not-great North London Derby.
Arsenal Need to Sign a Striker
The biggest missing piece, which fans have designated as a glaring issue for years, is that of a goal scoring striker. Arteta relies on a fleet of creative playmakers to unlock more chances, but the lack of a target forward means too many of these chances go to waste.
Arteta has spent five years crafting this project that has brought Arsenal back among the top clubs in Europe. But his reluctance to change the way the team plays is getting in the way of winning games, threatening the long term objectives of winning a major trophy.
No Killer Sense
Even when Arsenal execute their high press well and create chances, as they did against Tottenham, there is a lingering feeling that they would be lucky to score. Likewise, whether they take the lead or are behind, it never feels like Arsenal are ever going to be due a goal. It’s almost expected that they won’t.
This is a huge element separating Arsenal from the real upper echelon of clubs. The Liverpools, Barcelonas, and Bayern Munichs of the world are consistently able to muster a level of urgency where you expect them to score, and they usually do. Arsenal haven’t proven they can consistently kill games, and things have to change if they want to.
The Bad Cancels Out the Good
Kai Havertz and Raheem Sterling have personified the lack of clinical finishing at Arsenal in recent matches. Havertz seems to have a hex affecting him any time he touches the ball in the opponent’s box, and Sterling has lost aspects of his game that made him stand out in his prime.
Meanwhile, in a world where Rodri can win the Ballon d’Or, Declan Rice deserves far more attention than he gets. His defensive work is world class, which is fairly expected for a club’s record signing, but his hard work often goes moot when the chances are missed. Squandering such a crucial piece of talent does not bode well for an Arsenal team looking to evolve.
