4 things we learned from Arsenal's north London derby win at Tottenham
FROM TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM — One of the best omens Arsenal could muster on their most recent trip up to Tottenham was that they last won two games on the spin at Spurs in the same calendar year as their last Premier League title (2004).
Sunday's trip along the Seven Sisters Road confirmed Arsenal's place at the top of the Premier League standings for another week at least.
Mikel Arteta's side led 3-0 at half-time, but they just about avoided a full-blown collapse and managed to escape as 3-2 victors. Tottenham gave themselves too much to do and were punished for their defensive deficiencies.
Here's what we learned from another classic north London derby...
Ever since their days as the Invincibles, Arsenal's worst enemy has been themselves.
Tottenham barely had a whiff of blood until David Raya skewed the ball to the feet of Cristian Romero. The Gunners kept their host at bay until Declan Rice decided to hoof Ben Davies in the groin.
But fortunately for Arsenal, they were already in an unassailable lead, and their game-plan paid off.
Arsenal had played three times since Spurs' last game. The theory was a much-refreshed Tottenham would be able to win physical duels much easier than usual and suffocate their rivals. If a victory was to swing the way of the visitors, then they would need to pick and choose their moments rather than simply try and outlast Tottenham.
And so that's where the game was won. Arsenal are superb on set pieces, but Tottenham are weak. Arsenal are killers in transition, but Tottenham are meek. Arsenal can slow the game down effectively, but Tottenham need to play at light-speed.
The three-goal buffer brought about by the Gunners' cunningness ensured they took all three points.
Arsenal fans began their
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