Arsenal 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur: Gunners Too Good For North London Neighbours

Arsenal 3-0 Tottenham Line-ups/stats
Premier League results/standings

Arsenal put in a huge dent in North London rivals Tottenham’s Champions League aspirations with what was in the end a comfortable victory for Arsene Wengers side. A goal each from Robin Van Persie and Cesc Fabregas in a frantic minute just before half-time settled this game, before Van Persie added a third on the hour and Tottenham couldn’t find a reply.

Manuel Almunia was back between the posts for Arsenal for the first time in five games with Lukasz Fabianski suffering from a thigh injury. Arsene Wenger was also without Tomas Rosicky, Denilson and Theo Walcott in midfield, so lined up with Nicklas Bendtner, Robin van Persie and Andrei Arshavin in his first North London derby up front. Tottenham's former Gunners midfielder David Bentley made his first Premier League start since January, while Jermaine Jenas was back in the side and Peter Crouch partnered Robbie Keane in attack with Jermain Defoe suspended.

Going into the game, Arsenal were defending a one hundred percent home record against Spurs side who had the best away record in the Premier League and were looking for the first victory at Arsenal since 1993.

It was the home side who has the first shot in anger within four minutes. The ball running into the path of Nicklas Bendtner just outside the box, but the Danish striker’s shot went way over the bar.

David Bentley was then lucky not to see a least one yellow card, after first a deliberate handball and then a late tackle on Thomas Vermaelen. Referee Mark Clattenberg, who has only dished out one red card overall this season, chose to keep his cards in his pocket on both occasions, much to the dismay of the Emirates crowd. Clattenberg’s leniency continued, leaving Benoit Assou-Ekotto unpunished despite kicking the ball away after conceding a free-kick.

The home side continued to press and nearly took the lead on the twenty minute mark. Spurs gave the ball away in the middle of the park and Andrei Arshavin raced into the box. The Russian’s shot was deflected straight into the path of Cesc Fabregas who looked odds to score if it weren’t for a brilliant save from Heurelho Gomes.

The visitors then started to come into the game, Vedran Corluka roared forward down the right running into space created by Bendtner who couldn’t  track back because of his injury. Corluka sent in a low cross towards the waiting Robbie Keane but Thomas Vermaelen got back to intercept. Eduardo was soon sent on to replace the injured Bentdner.

Three minutes before the break, the deadlock was broken, with out of nowhere two Arsenal goals in matter of minutes. First, Bakary Sagna’s low cross was touched in by Robin van Perise, who got ahead of Ledley King at the near post. Forty-nine seconds later and the ball was in the Tottenham net once again, when straight from the kick-off Fabregas stole the ball from Wilson Palacios, dribbled through the Spurs defence and fired a low shot past Gomes. No doubt completely changing Harry Redknapp’s half-time team-talk.

The second half almost started with Arsenal netting again, Van Persie fizzed the ball across the face of goal but it just eluded Arshavin and, at the far post and Abou Diaby's  rebound was blocked by Sebastien Bassong. Two minutes later Eduardo was put through by Diaby only to see his shot saved by Gomes.

On the hour mark though Van Persie did make in three for Arsenal. Tottenham defenders completely stop after Assou-Ekotto caught Eduardo, the linesman flagged, but Mark Clattenburg played the advantage and  Sagna ran down the right before sending in a low cross that bobbled off King's shin and past  Gomes before being turned into an empty net by Van Persie.

It was almost immediately four when Fabregas’ chip beat the offside trap and found Eduardo in aches of space. But the Croatian international panicked with all the time in the world to decide what to and scuffed his shot wide. Tottenham’s response was to bring on Roman Pavlyuchenko in place of the ineffective Robbie Keane.

Tottenham huffed and puffed but never really looked like threatening without the missing Defoe, Luka Modric and Aaron Lennon making it a quiet afternoon for Manuel Almunia in the Arsenal goal. For Arsenal the victory was a milestone for manager Wenger, as he reached 1000 Premier League points as Arsenal manager.

Ash Rose, Goal.com UK