Hong Kong turned ‘white’ as Tottenham Hotspurs (i.e. Spurs) defeated arch-rivals Arsenal 1-0 in season’s first North London Derby. Pape Sarr scored an absolute banger from the centre half as Arsenal failed to make a comeback throughout the match. Despite it being a pre-season friendly, both clubs fielded their first team. The derby was played at the Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong on 1st August. Inside a packed stadium, Spurs held their nerves until the end and frustrated the Gunners. Meanwhile, a Spurs legend played his last ever North London Derby against bitter rivals Arsenal.
Pape’s Controversial Goal Against Arsenal
Despite being just a friendly match, the derby got heated when Spurs broke the deadlock. The moment of brilliance came during the dying minutes of the first half. Arsenal custodian David Raya passed the ball to Lewis-Skelly from the high line and Lewis-Skelly lost the ball immediately. Then, Pape Sarr made no mistake in placing the ball over Raya’s head from the centre-half. Clueless Arsenal footballers were furious over the referee. They protested that Richarlison had clearly fouled Lewis–Skelly. But the referee didn’t respond to it and the goal stayed.
Arsenal-Spurs Clash: The Match Report
As mentioned above, both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur started the match with full power. In case of the Gunners, only Christian Norgaard was among the new signings who got the chance to play from the beginning. Including Norgaard, Arsenal started the match with a midfield of Odegaard and Declan Rice. In the attacking third, Kai Havertz had Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli with him. David Raya was under the goalpost. On the other hand, Spurs began with a pretty solid lineup, too. Brazilian forward Richarlison was the only target man for Spurs. Latest signing Mohammed Kudus made his first appearance in the North London Derby. The match saw an early corner from Arsenal’s side as Saka’s delivery didn’t cause any trouble. Whereas, Spurs almost broke the deadlock from their first corner of the match. Spurs got another big chance in the 26th minute when Wilson Odobert’s shot hit the post. This was the second time in quick succession that Spurs hit the frame twice. From the very beginning, Spurs were all over Arsenal as Richarlison wasted a clear chance from Kudus’s corner. In the second half, Arsenal made their first attack as Martinelli’s shot went over the crossbar. Later on, Spurs missed scoring their second as defender Van de Ven missed an open header. Other than Martin Zubimendi’s long ranger, Arsenal failed to create threats in the opponent’s box.
Post-Match Banter Left Arsenal Fans Furious
After securing a hard-fought victory over Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur won another pre-season trophy. After the match, Spurs admin posted the trophy celebration quoting,***“Another one for the trophy cabinet”.***The football world enjoyed this witty banter as this clearly indicated Arsenal’s trophy drought over the years. That post will hurt the Gunners more as Spurs clinched their first European trophy last season. It is Arteta’s mission to finally bring a trophy to the cabinet. The only good thing that came from this match as Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres made his Arsenal debut. The fans are surely expecting a lot of goals from his boots.
The Author’s End: Spurs Legend Son’s Last Derby Win Against Arsenal
While newcomer Gyokeres made his first appearance in the Derby, Spurs legend Son Heung-Min played his last North London Derby. The South Korean forward has officially announced that he is going to leave the club after 12 long years. The club legend fulfilled his dream of winning a trophy with Tottenham Hotspur last season. As of now, the player hasn’t declared anything about his next chapter, but reports can confirm that he is going to join LAFC in the Major League Soccer.
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