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Arsenal secured a composed and comfortable 2-0 win over Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday, January 15. The win sees them stretch their lead at the top of the table over Manchester City to eight points.
Arsenal arrived in this game having defeated Oxford United 3-0 in the third round of the FA Cup in their last game. Mikel Arteta fielded a mixed side for that game but returned to a full-strength side for this all-important game.
Spurs, on the other hand, snuck a narrow 1-0 win over Portsmouth in the FA Cup in their last game. Having prevented Arsenal from qualifying for the UEFA Champions League this season, Antonio Conte and his men were eager to secure a positive result.
Arsenal made a strong start to the game and were on the front foot from the start. They raced into an early lead after just 14 minutes as Bukayo Saka raced down the right flank and forced an error from Hugo Lloris, who spilled the ball into his own net. The custodian made a mistake just moments earlier as he nearly gave away a free goal.
Tottenham were stuck in their own half as the Gunners maintained pressure and looked to increase their lead. They were successful in doing so as Saka provided an assist for the goal. He played the ball infield from the right flank and Martin Odegaard attempted a shot from distance and scored to make it 2-0 after 36 minutes.
The Gunners carried a comfortable two-goal cushion going into the break.
Both teams came out for the second half looking to achieve their respective objectives in the second period. Arsenal made a slow start to the second period, allowing Tottenham a short spell of dominance in which they created some good chances. Ryan Sessegnon had the best chance of them all but saw his shot saved by Ramsdale's extended left leg.
Spurs dominated possession 60 to 40 in the second period and attempted 13 shots, with five of them on target. They were unable to find a way past Aaron Ramsdale, who made several incredible saves to keep the Gunners ahead.
Arsenal held on to secure a crucial 2-0 win over Tottenham. On that note, let's take a look at the five talking points from the game.
#5. Hugo Lloris' mistakes in the first half completely shifted momentum
Lloris has been one of the top goalkeepers in world football for the better part of a decade now. Despite his reputation, he makes errors out of nothing from time to time.
It began with Lloris taking too long to release the ball and continue Tottenham's build-up, instead choosing to turn towards his left back. He was lucky Edward Nketiah was unable to convert the chance that followed as scores remained level. However, he spilled the ball into his own net following an attempted cross from Bukayo Saka.
#4. Arsenal's intensity was too much for Tottenham in the first half
Arsenal made a commanding start to the first half and found themselves with two goals to the good after just half an hour of play. They pressed high up the pitch and closed down spaces with great speed and quickness, preventing Spurs from settling into their rhythm. This pressure from the Gunners helped negate Tottenham's home advantage in the early stages.
#3. Tottenham played much better in the second half
Spurs looked lackluster in the first half as they kept 44% of the ball and attempted four shots, hitting the target just twice. They created 0.70 xG and failed to test Aaron Ramsdale effectively.
They came out for the second half looking more fluid in attack as they created several chances. Spurs attempted 13 shots in the second half, hitting the target five times. However, they were denied by Aaron Ramsdale, who put in a performance worthy of being named player of the match.
#2. Aaron Ramsdale had a brilliant game
Ramsdale faced seven shots on his goal and saved all of them, denying Heung-min Son, Harry Kane, and Ryan Sessegnon some good chances to score from. His saves mostly came after Arsenal were already 2-0 up so it was vital for the Gunners to stay ahead and maintain a two-goal cushion.
#1. Despite the win, Arsenal still needs reinforcements
After missing out on primary target Mykhaylo Mudryk, who moved to Chelsea last-minute, the Gunners need to dive into the market to sign backups for their existing stars. Several pundits, fans, and Mikel Arteta himself have made it clear that Arsenal are short on numbers and it will be interesting to see if they complete any business before the end of this month.
