Past Spurs in Thrilling North London Derby, Arsenal
Arsenal won the North London Derby match on the floor by a solitary goal as Tottenham Hotspur succumbed to a 1-0 loss at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The solitary goal scored by Gabriel in the 64th minute was the difference between winning and losing for Arsenal as it took all their three points.
Key Moments
64′ Gabriel: Arsenal’s Gabriel broke the deadlock with a decisive header from a corner kick. The goal came off a well-struck set piece, Bukayo Saka the provider. It was the difference-maker in a closely contested match.
Match Statistics
Possession : Arsenal dominated with 64% of possession compared to Tottenham’s 36%. This was an advantage because it allowed them to be masters of the game tempo and put pressure on the home team.
Shots : Arsenal had a total of 14 more shots than Tottenham. Although Arsenal had 5 shots that reached the target zone, Tottenham had only 4.
Corners : Tottenham took 7 corner kicks against Arsenal’s 6. Arsenal strong set piece defending meant that Tottenham did not utilize the corners as best as they could.
Discipline
Yellow Cards : There were a lot of yellow cards, which reflected how tough the game was. Tottenham had 5 yellow cards, every one of them to M. van de Ven, D. Kulusevski, G. Vicario, R. Bentancur, and D. Udogie. Arsenal had 3 yellow cards, to Jorginho, W. Saliba, and J. Timber.
Red Cards
No red cards were dished out during the game.
Attacking Play
Expected Goals (xG): Tottenham’s xG stood at 0.895 while Arsenal’s was 0.69, meaning Tottenham had a slightly higher probability of scoring compared to their chances. Arsenal, however, kept a tight shop in defense.
Shots on Target: Arsenal 5, Tottenham 4
This shows that Arsenal was more ruthless going forward.
Counter Moves: Arsenal was more efficient in terms of making counter moves with 2 successful counter moves for Tottenham’s 1.
Passing and Possession
Total passes successful: Arsenal completed 495; Tottenham completed 283. Therefore, Arsenal controlled the game and passed better as a team.
Crossing : Arsenal made 16; Tottenham made 24. Even though Tottenham made more crosses compared to Arsenal, Arsenal had a better-organized defense to handle those crosses delivered.
Defensive Stats
Clearances: Arsenal made 18 clearances that were effective against Tottenham’s attacking threats. Tottenham made 11 clearances.
Saves: Tottenham’s goalkeeper had 5 saves, and he was so resilient in goal. Arsenal’s goalkeeper had only 3 saves to make.
Interceptions: Arsenal managed 19 interceptions that reflected their ability to read and break down Tottenham’s attacking play.
Fan Reactions
The fan votes revealed there was an overwhelming preference for Arsenal’s win.
Draw: 17%
Tottenham: 34%
Arsenal: 49%
Conclusion
The victory earned by Arsenal at the hands of Tottenham testifies its perfect game management and strong solidity in defense. Arsenal outplayed Tottenham even as Tottenham earned more expected goals and higher attempts on goal, largely because of Arsenal’s good use of possession as well as crucial moments of brilliance such as that which Gabriel’s decisive goal was made of. This match further consolidates Arsenal’s position in the league and adds to the great rivalry between both North London clubs.
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