Arsenal beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 on Saturday afternoon.
Tottenham’s Dele Alli (2L) and Harry Kane (2R)
Arsenal claimed the North London bragging rights on Saturday afternoon, as they beat rivals Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners needed a response given that they were beaten 3-1 at Manchester City before the international break, though Arsene Wenger’s men actually went into Saturday’s game as underdogs.
Arsenal players celebrate
Tottenham have impressed in the Premier League and in Europe this season, with many backing them to beat Arsenal and prove that they are the new force in North London – but that didn’t happen.
Arsenal went in front thanks to a fine header from defender Shkodran Mustafi, though Tottenham were fuming that Davinson Sanchez’s fine challenge on Alexis Sanchez was given as a free kick, which led to the goal.
The Gunners made it 2-0 before the break as Sanchez converted Alexandre Lacazette’s cross, and that’s how it stayed as Spurs failed to get back into the game in the second half.
Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane and midfielder Dele Alli
Tottenham were flat and lacklustre throughout, with star duo Dele Alli and Harry Kane both struggling to make an impact after missing the international break through injury.
In fact, as Spurs chased the game, manager Mauricio Pochettino substituted both players, much to the delight of jubilant Arsenal fans on Twitter both during and after the game.
Gunners fans took to Twitter to claim that neither player left Mustafi or Laurent Koscielny’s pockets before they were substituted, adding that it was the icing on the cake that Tottenham’s two big-name stars fell flat on derby day.
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