Tottenham 0-1 Arsenal: What Were The Main Talking Points As The Gunners Claim North London Bragging Rights?

With all eyes falling on north London on Sunday afternoon, Arsenal extended on their unbeaten start to the new campaign as they snatched a 1-0 victory against arch-rivals Tottenham.

While Mikel Arteta might have been forced to make a handful of changes here, they overcome what was a fiery affair as Gabriel’s second-half header gave them a crucial victory across north London.

Although Spurs might have created a handful of first-half chances as David Raya excelled in the early stages to keep Spurs at bay, Tottenham once again fell short when the pressure was at its highest.

Securing three consecutive Premier League victories away at their bitter local rivals for the first time in history, the Gunners once again underlined that there is a real gap between the two sides.

Watching Gabriel power home midway through the second-half, Arteta’s camp will take plenty of positives away from another gritty performance on their travels.

As for Tottenham, drastically struggling to find any kind of stability since opening up the new campaign, Spurs have collected just a single victory from any of their first four Premier League appearances.

On an afternoon when Arsenal claimed north London bragging rights, we have taken a look at the main talking points.

Arsenal lay down an early marker

While Arsenal might have once again fallen short last season as they missed out on the chance to get their hands on a first Premier League crown since 2004, the Gunners aren’t showing any signs of a hangover this time around.

Although Arteta’s squad might have entered September’s international break with a 1-1 stalemate at home against Brighton, Sunday’s guests have collected 10 points from their first four Premier League appearances and are regarded to be Manchester City’s main title foe.

With the mood in their camp at a continued high following on from Sunday’s 1-0 victory in the white half of north London, Arsenal hold what is a rampant record against their bitter local rivals.

Now winning all of their last three consecutive Premier League trips away at Spurs, they have also collected 13 points from their previous five top-flight battles.

Getting the job done here without the midfield duo of Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, the Gunners will be excited to get their Champions League adventure underway on Wednesday night when they travel to Italian outfit Atalanta.

Some pressure growing on Postecoglou shoulders?

While Tottenham might have gained plenty of plaudits last season during their maiden campaign under Ange Postecoglou’s guidance, Spurs have shown some real issues on either side of the summer interval.

Eventually missing out on the chance to book a lucrative Champions League return last season, Sunday’s hosts have secured just a single victory from any of their first four Premier League appearances this time around.

Heading into September’s fortnight interval with a 2-1 loss away at Newcastle, there has been some speculation that the former Celtic boss could find some increasing pressure on his shoulders.

In fact, continuing on from last season, Tottenham have lost seven of their previous 11 showdowns against Premier League opposition – a run that stems all the way back to April 7th.

Missing out on what they had billed as a potential opportunity here and with vocal grumblings from Sunday’s home support following on from their 1-0 loss, Postecoglou is desperately seeking some much-needed stability.

Defensive steel the key to Arsenal’s success

While many around the red half of north London over the summer as Arsenal failed to add a new striking option to their ranks, the Gunners have certainly gained a reputation for their continued success at the back.

Opening the new campaign with a 2-0 victory against Wolves on August 17th, the Gunners have conceded just a single strike since getting proceedings underway and they were once again at their defensive best here.

Shipping just 28 goals in their 38 Premier League appearances and holding the best defensive tally among England’s elite, Arteta’s young squad know that their success at the back is a key part of their title charge this year.

Continuing on from last season, Arsenal have conceded just a pair of goals in over 630 minutes of action – a run that stems back to a 3-2 victory away at Tottenham on April 28th.

With a heavyweight battle against defending champions Manchester City set for next weekend, the Gunners’ rugged defence will be bracing themselves for another stern examination at the Etihad.

Match Report

Tottenham: Vicario, Udogie, van de Ven, Romero, Porro, Maddison, Bentancur, Kulusevski, Son, Solanke, Johnson

Subs: Werner, Sarr, Odobert

Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Gabriel, Saliba, White, Jorginho, Partey, Trossard, Havertz, Martinelli, Saka

Subs: Sterling, Nwanderi, Jesus

Goals: Gabriel (64’)

Yellow Cards: Tottenham: Kulusevski, Bentancur, Udogie, Vicario – Arsenal: Jorginho, Timber, Saliba

Red Cards: N/A

Referee: Jarred Gillet