Arsenal took a 3-0 lead in the first half, despite shooting themselves in the foot twice to help Tottenham close the gap. The Gunners’ mistakes didn’t matter in the end as they ended the match with a narrow 3-2 victory.

The Gunners ceded possession of the ball to Tottenham in the first half, only making 9 shots compared to the opponent’s 13. However, Arsenal always knows how to take full advantage of opportunities.

The “Gunners” got off to a dream start when Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s own goal in the 15th minute helped them open the score. After that, Arsenal caused countless difficulties for Spurs by letting Martin Odegaard act as a virtual “number 9”.

Arsenal ‘s captain rose higher than usual and became the focus of The Gunners’ attacks. At times, the Norwegian player even made runs towards the opponent’s penalty area like Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard.

Odegaard had 8 touches of the ball in the Tottenham penalty area and was only blocked once, with surprising composure. The Norwegian player mainly operates on the right wing to support Saka, creating space for Kai Havertz to move into the center.

In contrast, Havertz no longer plays in the role of virtual “number 9”, instead dropping deep to limit Rodrigo Bentacur’s influence. And that worked. Bentancur was confused for almost the entire first half as Spurs struggled to convert their dominance into scoring opportunities.

Besides, we must mention Declan Rice and Thomas Partey, the pair created a shield in front of the defense, thereby allowing Odegaard to move freely.

“It was a really emotional game. A very difficult place to be in, obviously an incredible atmosphere in the stadium and a great team to play against.

Tottenham have really good players for them moving forward. We had to try, endure, react and I’m very satisfied with the way my team did,” Arteta said after the match.

Meanwhile, Ange Postecoglou could not hide his disappointment when Tottenham let Arsenal leave with 3 points. “It was a disappointing day for us. It was an important match for the club, for the fans.

We didn’t get the results we wanted so obviously this is disappointing. We wanted to win today for the fans and for the club. We couldn’t do that,” the Australian strategist said.

With the victory over Tottenham, Arteta reached the milestone of 100 wins after 169 matches leading the “Gunners” in the Premier League. This achievement is even more impressive than Arsene Wenger’s, when it took 179 matches.

However, Man City still holds the right to self-determination with a 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest. The Gunners temporarily lead with 80 points, 1 point more than Man City but have played 1 more match.

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