Arteta heaps praise on Arsenal fans ahead of North London derby
Arsenal are taking on Tottenham today in a north London derby where both sides are in need of a morale-boosting win over their neighbours.
The two teams have experienced contrasting starts to the season: Spurs won their opening three league games 1-0 to climb briefly to the top of the table while the Gunners lost their first three, but since then the tables have turned, with Tottenham losing twice and Arsenal winning back-to-back games.
Mikel Arteta’s team could now climb above Spurs in the table with a win over two goals or more, something that would have seemed extremely unlikely just a few weeks ago. In the build-up, Arteta said he has emphasised the importance of the match to the club. “They (Arsenal’s players) do (know the importance) and I will make sure they understand what it means. The history between the two teams and where it came from and what it means emotionally to our supporters,” Arteta told reporters on Friday. “You have to play that game with a slightly different skin because there is a little bit more at stake.”
Follow all the action live below.
Arsenal 3-0 Tottenham
60 mins: Tottenham look totally confused as to how to break a team down. It’s really quite worrying this.
Lucas sends a half-hearted cross into the box which is gathered easily by Aaron Ramsdale. The build-up is so slow from the visitors. No energy about the approach play.
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Dylan Terry26 September 2021 17:48
Arsenal 3-0 Tottenham
58 mins: Penalty shout for Tottenham as Harry Kane goes down under a challenge from Ben White. It’s just whether it’s inside or outside because it’s clearly a foul. Must have been deemed outside the box as VAR doesn’t even look at it.
Aubameyang then goes down outside the box at the other end and he’s told to get to his feet as well.
Dylan Terry26 September 2021 17:46
Arsenal 3-0 Tottenham
55 mins: Penalty shout for Arsenal. Sanchez bundles into Gabriel and the Arsenal players look towards the referee. Nothing given and that’s the correct call. There wasn’t enough in it.
Arteta lost his mind again on the sidelines. Somebody’s excitable.
Dylan Terry26 September 2021 17:43
Arsenal 3-0 Tottenham
52 mins: ‘Stand up if you hate Tottenham’ rings around the Emirates Stadium. I imagine right now even those Tottenham players hate Tottenham.
Tomiyasu in acres of space on the right once more. He looks up and sends a ball towards the penalty area but Hojbjerg turns it behind for a corner.
The resulting set-piece is cleared by Sanchez.
Dylan Terry26 September 2021 17:41
Arsenal 3-0 Tottenham
49 mins: Spurs have come out on the front foot as you’d expect them to do. They need to show something in this game because that first 45 minutes was embarrassing.
They are going to leave gaps though and that could enable Arsenal to really give their North London rivals a thrashing.
Dylan Terry26 September 2021 17:37
Arsenal 3-0 Tottenham
46 mins: Changes for Spurs then at the start of this second half – no surprise there. Emerson Royal and Oliver Skipp are on for Dele Alli and Japhet Tanganga. It really could have been any of them.
Dylan Terry26 September 2021 17:34
Arsenal 3-0 Tottenham
Safe to say it was a great half to be in that stadium… if you are an Arsenal fan. I don’t imagine the away support had the same kind of fun.
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Dylan Terry26 September 2021 17:31
Arsenal 3-0 Tottenham
(Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I)
Dylan Terry26 September 2021 17:25
HT: Arsenal 3-0 Tottenham
HALF-TIME: That’s the end of the 45 minutes. One-way traffic. Arsenal have been good but Spurs have been completely, utterly dreadful.
Could and probably should be game over.
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Dylan Terry26 September 2021 17:19
Arsenal 3-0 Tottenham
45 mins: Approaching half-time here and Spurs just really want to hear the whistle. Knocking it around with very little intent. You wonder, would they take 3-0 now? Better that than being truly humiliated.
Nuno will have to make changes at the break.
Dylan Terry26 September 2021 17:15
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