Five issues Mikel Arteta bought proper as set piece kings Arsenal beat Tottenham
Arsenal produced a superb defensive display to battle their way to north London derby delight as Mikel Arteta’s side claimed a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur.
In what was a heated affair, both sides found themselves with multiple booking in the first half, with Jurrien Timber’s tackle on Pedro Porro proving to be the catalyst for an on-pitch brawl. While things calmed down after the break, neither side really threatened after a fast opening 45 minutes.
However, on 64 minutes, Brazilian defender Gabriel gave Arsenal the lead with a header from a corner which saw Spurs’ inability to defend set-pieces punished once again.
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And the win means Arsenal now head into next weekend’s crunch clash against Manchester City in much better spirits than they would have had they dropped points again like they did prior to the international break.
Here’s what Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta got right in the Gunners win over Spurs…
Solid defensive structure
For years, Arsenal were panned for not being strong enough defensively. But over the time Mikel Arteta has been in charge as Arsenal boss, the Gunners have built up a formidable defence, led by Gabriel and William Saliba. The two Arsenal defenders are the best partnership in the Premier League, and compliment each other so well.
And their clean sheet against Spurs also means that they have only conceded one goal so far this term, which came in their 1-1 draw against Brighton when reduced to 10 men. Arsenal’s defensive structure in this game was very impressive, with two banks of four men in a compact 4-4-2 shape that Spurs just couldn’t break down.
Targeting Vicario
Arsenal targeted Spurs keeper Guglielmo Vicario relentlessly from corners during the contest, which eventually paid dividends when Gabriel headed the Gunners in front on 64 minutes.
The Italian simply just does not look comfortable from corners, and with Arsenal being one of the best teams in the Premier League at set-piece time, they were able to punish Spurs’ inability to defend them when Gabriel beat Cristian Romero – having given him a clever shove just beforehand to give himself space – to head home past Vicario.
Managing without key players
For the majority of the last week, Arsenal fans have been panicking about how they will fare without the suspended Declan Rice and the injured Martin Odegaard.
However, the truth is they didn’t really miss either. The Gunners started Jorginho and Thomas Partey in midfield, with four attackers, Leandro Trossard, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka operating in front of them. And Partey and Jorginho looked comfortable in the middle of the park for Arsenal.
What did you make of Arsenal’s win over Tottenham Hotspur? Let us know in the comments section below.
With the Gunners having to face off against Manchester City next weekend, they could not afford to drop points to Spurs, especially after their draw against Brighton prior to the international break. Arteta deserves credit for how he managed the contest without two of Arsenal’s best players.
Passive off the ball and not drawn into Tottenham’s traps
After a frantic start to proceedings, which saw the game played at breakneck speed, Arsenal calmed things down and became more compact to defend against Spurs.
And it was a decision from Arsenal that helped them greatly. Spurs wanted the game to be as open as possible – that’s when they’re at their best. Arsenal did not get drawn into the playing the game Spurs wanted.
In their defeat to Newcastle and their draw to Leicester City, Spurs had plenty of the ball but could not break either side down, something which might have factored into Arteta’s decision making.
Resisted temptation to change things
With the injury to Odegaard and the suspension of Rice, Arsenal could have opted to change things up against Spurs and try something new. Instead they were rewarded by not changing too much in the absence of arguably their two best players.
