Arsenal brush aside Spurs 3-1

✳Arsenal 3 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Smith Rowe (12)
Aubameyang (27)
Saka (34)
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Heung-min (78)

London, UK | THE INDEPENDENT |  Arsenal won the north London derby with a dazzling display of first-half football at a sun-drenched Emirates Stadium to blow Tottenham away on Sunday.

Arsenal came into this game off the back of three successive wins, and with confidence returning we immediately stamped their authority on the game.

With Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey snapping into tackles, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang fired up and making his presence felt, Arsenal unsettled the visitors all over the park.

Roared on by an incredible atmosphere inside Emirates Stadium, Arsenal took the lead with a goal made in Hale End as Bukayo Saka picked out Emile Smith Rowe in the area and the 21-year-old slotted home to spark jubilant celebrations.

Partey then saw a goalbound shot palmed around the post by Hugo Lloris as Arsenal continued to pile on the pressure, but the Tottenham goalkeeper could do nothing about the second.

Surely already a contender for goal of the season, the move started from the back as Xhaka did well to turn out of pressure on the edge of his area, launching a slick counter attack involving Martin Odegaard, Kieran Tierney, Aubameyang and Smith Rowe.

The Arsenal captain played the opening goalscorer into space with a superb flick and Smith Rowe raced into the area, before cutting the ball back to Aubameyang to finish left footed – and the forward celebrated a la Thierry Henry in the corner.

It was just reward for a team performance full of energy, endeavour and quality – and Arsenal  didn’t have long to wait for our third as Hale End graduates combined again.

This time Smith Rowe collected the ball in his own half, and played the ball into space on the right for Saka. The England international raced at goal, and after being tackled by Harry Kane in the area, the ball broke kindly for him and he slotted low beyond Lloris to make it three.

The visitors struggled to mount a response before the interval, although Kane did head inches wide from a corner but they did pose more of a threat after half time.

Aaron Ramsdale had to be alert to palm away a Kane shot, and then minutes later the England captain lifted a shot over the goalkeeper but it drifted wide.

But back Arsenal came, with the irrepressible Saka cutting in from the right and calling Lloris into action again with a curling shot.

Son pulled one back for the visitors towards the end, but it did little to take the gloss off a fine afternoon in N5 as Arsenal made it four wins on the bounce.

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SOURCE: www.arsenal.com