Arsenal extend lead to four points after surviving Tottenham comeback

Arsenal secured a crucial victory in the north London derby against Tottenham, overcoming a tense finale to keep up their momentum in the Premier League title race.

Mikel Arteta’s team moved four points ahead of second-place Manchester City, who have two games in hand and were set to play Nottingham Forest later that day (16:30 BST).

Facing their fierce rivals in what was considered one of their most challenging remaining fixtures, Arsenal exploited Tottenham’s defensive shortcomings to build a three-goal lead by halftime.

However, Arsenal’s control slipped when goalkeeper David Raya made a poor clearance, allowing Cristian Romero to score at the 64-minute mark. The tension escalated when Heung-min Son converted a penalty three minutes from full-time after Declan Rice committed a foul on Ben Davies.

The match had started favorably for Arsenal, who took the lead 15 minutes into the game when Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg inadvertently headed Bukayo Saka’s corner into his own goal. Saka then added a second goal 12 minutes later, capping off a slick counter-attack with a composed finish.

Spurs, already frustrated after Micky van de Ven’s goal was disallowed for a marginal offside at 1-0, grew even more aggrieved. They argued that Leandro Trossard had fouled Dejan Kulusevski before Saka’s goal, and their frustration mounted when Kai Havertz, unmarked, headed in Arsenal’s third from a corner just seven minutes before halftime.

Arsenal were largely content to manage the game thereafter, but a misdirected clearance from goalkeeper David Raya breathed new life into Spurs’ hopes.

A late revival seemed possible when Son converted a penalty, but Arteta’s team managed to hold on and secure the win, thereby hampering their bitter rivals’ chase for a top-four finish.

Spurs remain in fifth place in the Premier League, trailing Aston Villa by seven points but with two games in hand.

Arsenal survive late Spurs surge to stay on course

Arsenal shifted from cruising to clinging on in a dramatic north London derby, with a seemingly straightforward victory complicated by their own errors.

While the Gunners were far from their peak performance, at this stage of the season, securing wins is what counts, and they managed to do just that, albeit with a tension-filled conclusion.

Arsenal looked comfortable at halftime and managed the early part of the second half without issues until Raya’s moment of hesitation led him to inadvertently pass the ball directly to a thankful Romero.

When Son converted a penalty, Arsenal might have worried about falling prey to a last-minute equalizer as Spurs, consistently dangerous in attack, looked likely to level the score.

Despite his mistake, Raya redeemed himself somewhat by confidently commanding his area afterwards, ensuring that Arsenal’s early lead held firm.

Another standout for Arsenal was Rice, whose generally excellent performance was only marred by the mistimed challenge on Davies that gave away the penalty.

With three victories in eight days, Arteta’s team remains a strong contender in the title race, keeping up the pressure on Manchester City as Liverpool’s challenge diminishes with just three games remaining.

Spurs pay for familiar problems

Tottenham Hotspur experienced the disappointment of a derby loss and a blow to their top-four aspirations in the Premier League, once again exhibiting a weakness in defending set-pieces, particularly corners.

Spurs might be aggrieved by Arsenal defender Ben White’s tactics in distracting goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario during corners, but ultimately, they needed to perform better defensively. Early in the match, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg inadvertently headed the ball into his own net while attempting to outmaneuver Takehiro Tomiyasu.

Later, Kai Havertz was left largely unmarked and headed in what would be the decisive third goal for the visitors at the near post.

For manager Ange Postecoglou, the frustration lies in his team’s offensive capabilities, which were evident when a potential equalizer from Van de Ven was narrowly disallowed at a critical moment.

Despite putting Arsenal under significant pressure once they sensed an opportunity, the challenge of overcoming the deficit created by the three goals conceded in the first half was too great.

Player of the Match:
Bukayo Saka