TOTTENHAM 1-4 ARSENAL: The Gunners scored two second-half goals to claim the north London bragging rights with Eberechi Eze continuing his fine form against their rivals
Arsenal got back to winning ways in the north London derby with Viktor Gyokeres among the goals
Arsenal got back to winning ways in the north London derby with Viktor Gyokeres among the goals
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Arsenal ended a difficult week on a north London high as they downed rivals Tottenham with Eberechi Eze continuing to haunt the side who wanted him in the summer.
The Englishman grabbed himself a brace as the Gunners restored their five point lead at the top, albeit they've played a game more, as their battle with Manchester City continues to boil away.
Eze, scorer of three goals in the game between these two earlier in the season, was on hand to score the opener. Bukayo Saka drove past Pape Matar Sarr and found his team-mate, who finished from close range.
It was the ideal start for Arsenal, with questions mounting about their mentality, but within 24 seconds of the restart their lead had been washed away. Declan Rice made a rare error in his own third, giving away the ball to Randal Kolo Muani. The Tottenham forward didn't have far to travel before he fired in a shot underneath David Raya to ensure parity in the derby.
Viktor Gyokeres has by no means been in the goals on his return to England but he bagged a timely brace. His first a stunning finish put the visitors back ahead early in the second-half and, when Saka was sent clear but denied, Eze was on hand to pick up the scraps as he fired home his fifth goal against Tottenham this season.
Arsenal managed the contest impressively in the final periods, keeping their rivals at arms length to secure the three points with Gyokeres producing strength, power and a stunning finish to add further gloss to the scoreline.
They will have to respond to City again next weekend, such is the way the fixtures have been decided, but they have silenced the doubters for another week. Here's five talking points from the capital.
Perfect response
There's been plenty of noise since Wednesday night, when the Gunners let a two-goal lead slip at Wolves. All the talk of bottling the title once again has been front and centre and Mikel Arteta saw his old boss Pep Guardiola close to within two points on Saturday night. After successive draws on the road Arsenal could ill-afford another slip but at half-time that reality was facing them.
Igor Tudor suffered defeat in his first game as Tottenham boss
Igor Tudor suffered defeat in his first game as Tottenham boss
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The second-half belonged to the visitors though as their five point lead was restored for now. Eze's second on the hour mark gave them a two-goal cushion, easing the pressure valve somewhat. But with City playing before them next weekend they could find themselves needing to respond once more. Their route to a potential title party will be far from easy, especially for a group still needing to get over the line, but this was a timely performance.
Gyokeres' biggest moment yet
He's been heavily criticised since he moved to the Premier League - and plenty would say that critique is deserved given his fee and subsequent goal return. The Swede has retained the faith of those around him, even if he has looked a shadow of the player we saw scoring with regularity at Sporting Lisbon.
But with Arsenal needing someone to stand up their marquee summer signing only needed two touches to put the game back in the hands of the visitors. His impressive finish from 20 yards thundered past Guglielmo Vicario, with the away fans in close proximity, and could prove one of the defining moments of his Arsenal career.
His third, which showcased all the qualities that had made him so sought after when in Portugal, was the icing on top of the cake.
Eze's derby love
He's making the north London derby his favourite stage. He enjoyed a breakout moment for his new club in the reverse fixture, which saw him score a hat-trick in front of the Emirates in a thumping win. Since then he's by no means been a guaranteed starter, but he chose the ideal game to make an impact.
Eberechi Eze scored the opening goal of the afternoon
Eberechi Eze scored the opening goal of the afternoon
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The ex-Crystal Palace ace took his volley early to silence the home crowd, albeit temporarily. It was, incredibly, his first shot on target since his third goal against Tottenham last calendar year. Arsenal will need more from the winger in the months to come.
Stadium announcer raises the stakes
Most stadium announcers around the country welcome fans, state the obvious, read out the line-ups, sometimes with a bit of passion when it comes to the home team. But the man with the mike at Tottenham didn't shy away from ramping up the atmosphere.
The build-up had been dominated by the need for Arsenal to get back on track, especially after City had won on Saturday night. Tudor was leading the latest Tottenham era and the stadium announcer made it clear that the visitors, heading into enemy territory, were the team needing a performance.
Randal Kolo Muani was on hand to quickly level for Tottenham
Randal Kolo Muani was on hand to quickly level for Tottenham
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He said: "Sometimes there's a fire to be lit. They're nervous as hell. We're calm. We're ready..." If Arsenal were nervous, it didn't show.
'Shambolic delay'
Sunday's North London Derby was bought to a halt due to an issue with the officials' technology, which saw them require attention in a bid to ensure their equipment was fully functioning. The match was paused by referee Peter Bankes after just seven minutes, but it saw the stadium fall flat as Gary Neville let rip on commentary.
He said: "This is ridiculous, the whole game cannot stop just because of an IT issue - this is an absolute nonsense, one of the most important games of the season and the players all now have to reset.
"This is an absolute nonsense. One of the most important games of the season, fantastic start to it, really quick. And we're now two or three minutes stopped, players having to sort of re-warm up again, reset. Absolute shambles."
Neville - and the 62,000 inside the stadium - were less than impressed when there was a repeat of it before the second-half had even begun.
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