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Matchday 28 of the Premier League kicked off with a 1-1 draw in the North London Derby with Aaron Ramsey and Harry Kane getting on the scoresheet.
Arsenal were defensive for most parts of the first half as they looked to hit Tottenham on the counter. The Gunners took the lead against the run of play as Aaron Ramsey rounded Hugo Lloris in the 16th minute. Emery's game plan worked to perfection in the first half as Arsenal made it difficult for Spurs' forwards to influence the game.
Alexander Lacazette squandered an easy chance in the early stages of the second and Arsenal were made to pay for the missed chance as Harry Kane's penalty brought Spurs level in the derby. The visitors had a chance to secure all three points in the dying stages of the game, but Aubameyang saw his penalty saved by Hugo Lloris.
In this article, we take a look at the five talking points from an intense North London Derby.
#5 Emery gets his tactics spot on against Spurs
Eyes were raised prior to the game with regards to Unai Emery's team selection. The former PSG manager started with a back four; comprising of Shkodran Mustafi, Laurent Koscielny, Sokratis, and Nacho Monreal. The midfield consisted of Xhaka and Guendouzi, with Lucas Torreira on the bench to the dismay of many fans. Alexandre Lacazette spearheaded the attack, as Aubameyang and Mesut Ozil did not get a start.
Arsenal looked solid from kickoff as they defended in numbers and looked to hit Tottenham on the counter. Emery's decision to play Mustafi at right-back proved to be a shrewd one as the German dealt with Danny Rose and Christian Eriksen with confidence.
The midfield duo of Xhaka and Guendouzi started off in bright fashion as the duo blocked off all passing lanes which did not allow Eriksen and Son to link up with Harry Kane. Arsenal did not go gung-ho with their pressing and their smart counter press forced Sissoko and Wanyama to misplace many passes or make incorrect decisions in vital areas of the pitch.
The likes of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alex Iwobi deserve credit for tracking back and keeping Arsenal's defensive shape intact. Emery's men stuck to their gameplan and made life hard for their opponents
A lapse from Mustafi saw Spurs awarded a penalty which was calmly slotted by Harry Kane in the 74th minute. Overall, Emery got his tactics right, due to which his side could contain a dangerous Spurs outfit. Barring a few individual errors, the Gunners could have emerged with all three points.
#4 Tottenham slipping up at a crucial phase of the season
Tottenham have disappointed in recent weeks after putting in high level performances before the return of Harry Kane. Since Kane's return, Spurs looked lacklustre in their away defeats to Burnley and Chelsea
Spurs were far from convincing in the North London derby and avoided a ninth loss in the league as Hugo Lloris stepped up to save Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's penalty in the 90th minute.
Mauricio Pochettino approached the game with a 3-4-3 formation with the back three of Jan Vertonghen, Davinson Sanchez, and Toby Alderweireld protected by the midfield duo of Wanyama and Sissoko. Despite being solid defensively, the midfield could not provide the requisite service to the forwards and looked vulnerable against the press on a few occassions.
Arsenal capitalised on the lack of dynamism from Spurs and hit them on the break to take the lead in the first half. The likes of Kieran Trippier and Danny Rose did not look dangerous in offensive areas as Mustafi and Monreal dealth with them fairly easily.
Spurs clearly missed the ruggedness of Moussa Dembele in midfield and the creativity, incisiveness of Dele Alli higher up the pitch.
With games coming thick and fast, Spurs will need to raise the tempo as their top four spot could be up for grabs considering the current form of Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea.
#3 Arsenal put in a solid defensive display at Wembley
Through the entire match, the Gunners looked like a side who had a clear plan to thwart Spurs. Despite a silly error leading to the equalizer, Arsenal's defence was the star of the show at Wembley.
The Center half pairing displayed excellent communication with each other and did well to deny Kane to score from open play. Sokratis commanded the defence and made a number of interceptions, blocks in vital areas of the pitch. On the other hand, Koscielny won a number of aerial duels and stationed himself in the right places to snuff out Tottenham's advances.
Nacho Monreal put in another noteworthy performance against Spurs and struck the right balance between his offensive and defensive responsibilities. Monreal defended against Son with great aplomb, giving the Korean no joy down the left. The Spanish International linked up nicely with Iwobi and nearly registered an assist, only for Lacazette to place his attempt wide off the mark.
Monreal won 12/13 duels, made four interceptions and recovered possession on nine occasions. German defender Shkodran Mustafi defended well for most parts of the game, despite giving away a cheap foul which lead to Tottenham's equalizer in the 74th minute.
Arsenal will need to put in strong defensive displays such as this on a more consistent basis as they aim to finish inside the top four this season.
#2 Poor finishing costs Arsenal two valuable points
Arsenal failed to secure a morale-boosting win over Tottenham Hotspur due to some poor finishing from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette.
On a day when Emery's tactics were perfect, his strikers flattered to deceive, which saw his side lose the fourth spot to Manchester United, who won 3-2 against Southampton at Old Trafford. Arsenal were resolute in midfield and defence but squandered quite a few chances against their rivals.
Lacazette had a glorious chance to open the scoring as early as in the third minute but he failed to guide Iwobi's deflected attempt past Hugo Lloris. An early goal could have set the tone right for Arsenal to take full control of procedings. However, the Frenchman atoned for his miss early on, by assisting Ramsey for the opening goal.
The Gunners could have doubled their lead early in the second half after a beautiful move down the left could not be finished off by Lacazette, as he dragged his attempt wide instead while aiming to place his shot on the far corner. The Frenchman had some time to take a touch instead of hitting Monreal's pass first time as Sanchez was caught sleeping while attempting to intercept the cross.
Arsenal had a glorious chance to secure a late winner through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as the Gabon international was brought down in the 90th minute. The ensuing penalty was comfortably saved by Hugo Lloris, who dived to his right to stop Aubameyang from scoring the winner.
#1 Controversies Galore in the North London Derby
The North London derby is always known to be a feisty affair with both Arsenal and Tottenham going hammer and tongs to attain bragging rights. Controversies, sending offs, and title-winning goals; this historic rivalry has seen everything. This game turned was no exception
Saturday's derby saw a number of controversial decisions take center stage as both sides played out a 1-1 draw. There were three major controversial decisions that shaped the outcome of the game.
First up, the build-up leading to Tottenham's equalizer is something that deserves a look. Christian Eriksen delivered a teasing ball into the box in the 73rd minute which was heading out, only for Arsenal to give away a needless penalty which was dispatched by Harry Kane. Replays showed about four Tottenham players in an offside position, including Harry Kane.
Secondly, Torreira's sending off raises eyebrows. Lucas Torreira was sent off in the dying embers of the game after committing a dangerous foul on Danny Rose. But replays suggested that the Uruguayan made contact with the ball before his feet came into contact with Rose's knee. Such incidents have generally seen the offender get a yellow card, irrespective of the challenge being dangerous or not.
And lastly, Aubameyang's penalty also raises questions. Replays showed that Jan Vertonghen, Alderweireld and Trippier intruded the penalty box while Aubameyang made contact with the ball. In cases such as this, the penalty needs to be retaken. The intrusion was not spotted by the referee or the linesman and a blatant infringement went unpunished.
Such glaring errors made by referees need to be rectified and hopefully, the introduction of VAR from the 2019/20 Premier League season will help.
