Unai Emery gets his big Arsenal moment in report card from emphatic win v Spurs

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  • Arsenal moved above their rivals following a thrilling 4-2 win.

    Arsenal came from behind to beat 10-man Tottenham in a heated north London derby as the Gunners moved ahead of their neighbours and into the Premier League top-four.

    Quickfire goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Lucas Torreira settled the contest 4-2 in favour of the hosts. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had given the Gunners the lead from the penalty spot before drawing them level after an Eric Dier header and a controversial Harry Kane spot-kick had turned the game around.

    Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen, having conceded the first penalty, was dismissed in the latter stages.

    Here is our report card:

    THE GOOD

    Emery’s big moment – Coming into his first north London derby, there was plenty for Arsenal boss Unai Emery to feel content about.

    His charges were undefeated in 18 matches, plus the electric football on display had the Emirates Stadium faithful onside after a near decade of disquiet under Arsene Wenger.

    Still, a defining moment was absent. Champions Manchester City and Chelsea had inflicted early-season defeats, while last month’s breathless contest with Liverpool ended in a memorable 1-1 draw.

    This time, deserved – and belated – victory was attained. Arsenal began at relentless pace, conceded twice in four minutes to fall behind and then showed the strength of character to pile on three second-half goals.

    Arsenal are now back in the top four, back as north London’s top dogs and back at the Premier League’s top table.

    THE BAD

    Vertonghen faith is misplaced – When you have a defender of Vertonghen’s refined ability available to you after two months out injured, the urge to select him is obvious.

    The Belgium international’s return to the XI for the critical midweek victory against Inter Milan in the Champions League made it just two clean sheets in seven matches for Spurs.

    But should head coach Mauricio Pochettino have thrown him in for a second start in five days, after so long away?

    Vertonghen inexplicably handled to gift Arsenal the opener and made a bad afternoon worse with his wild foul on Lacazette to be dismissed for just the second time in his club career. He also made one just tackle, to rookie partner Juan Foyth’s seven.

    All the while, countryman Toby Alderweireld watched on from the substitutes’ bench…

    KEY MOMENTS

    9th min GOAL: Vertonghen handles the ball to deny Shkodran Mustafi a header and referee Mike Dean points to the spot. Aubameyang steps up and scuffs his penalty past Hugo Lloris.

    30th min GOAL: Sokratis Papastathopoulos needlessly concedes a free-kick out wide. Christian Eriksen whips in a free-kick that Dier meets with his head, but it requires questionable keeping by Bernd Leno to flap it in at the near post.

    34th min GOAL: Son Heung-min is, seemingly, felled by thin air, but Rob Holding’s wild slide convinces Dean to give another penalty. Kane lashes superbly into the bottom corner, for his 26th London derby goal in 40 appearances.

    56th min GOAL: Right-back Hector Bellerin slips a ball through to Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey. His pass is lashed in first time by Aubameyang and beats the helpless Lloris at his near post, making it 10 goals in his last 11 top-flight run-outs.

    75th min GOAL: Substitute Lacazette spins Vertonghen, but his shot, crucially, deflects off Dier and goes in to put Arsenal ahead.

    77th min GOAL: The madness continues as Aubameyang slips it through to Torreira and the Uruguay anchor calmly dispatches his first Arsenal goal through Lloris and into the top corner.

    85th min RED CARD: Vertonghen’s first Premier League game since September ends early with a second yellow for a studs-out challenge on Lacazette.

    TACTICAL TURNING POINT

    Looking to Lacazette – There were mixed results last weekend when Emery dusted off the 3-5-2 formation largely utilised during the final days of his predecessor Wenger.

    A 2-1 win was earned at Bournemouth, but the performance left plenty to be desired. The Spaniard, however, stuck with the plan – including leaving out Germany playmaker Mesut Ozil.

    The Gunners’ punishing tempo was ultimately not rewarded with a first half-time lead of the 2018/19 Premier League. It would require the half-time introduction of Lacazette to provide a fulcrum up top with the ability to make smart runs behind Spurs’ centre-backs.

    Lacazette’s imprint was only visible in the deflected third goal. But his movement was key to unsettling Spurs.

    VERDICT

    Arsenal – A

    In the fullness of time, this result could be seen as a vital one for the Emery era.

    Chatter of a typical Arsenal collapse only increased as a 1-0 lead evaporated in four first-half minutes. But the response spoke volumes about where the Gunners are headed.

    A discordant Manchester United should be put to the sword in midweek.

    Tottenham – C-

    For Spurs, a disappointing result never seems too far away during a top-flight campaign that contains their best-ever start. They, simply, could not live with Arsenal’s ceaseless pace.

    This could be a direct result of the summer’s failure to bolster a first-rate XI. Tellingly, Pochettino didn’t make a change until the 79th minute.

    The same men cannot do it, week after week.

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