London is Red: Arsenal Beat Spurs at the Emirates to keep their European hopes alive

Tottenham’s top 4 hopes took a hit as goals from Martin Odegaard (44’) and Alexandre Lacazette handed Arsenal a 2-1 lead over their North London rivals.

The game wasn’t short of quality and controversy. Spur’s solitary goal came courtesy of a sublime finish from Erik Lamela (33’). A Rabona that certainly caught the eye. However, Jose Mourinho’s team were forced to pay for their sluggish start and often conservative approach to big games.

For Arsenal, this was their first North London derby win since 2018. Although started brighter of both teams with Emile Smith-Rowe rattling the woodwork in the opening exchanges, found themselves courtesy of that Lamela’s effort.

The host were rewarded for their fine start when Odegaard finished nicely from Kieran Tierny’s cutback. They completed the turnaround midway through the second half after they were controversially awarded a penalty after Lacazette drew a foul in the box from Davinson Sanchez and kept his cool to convert from the spot.

Lamela’s afternoon soon turned sour, getting two red cards in a space of two minutes. Spurs, despite being down to 10 men, put on a late show and tried to snatch something from the game but, a block from Gabrielle ensured that the 3 points were safe for Arsenal.

Man of the Match: Emile Smith-Rowe

The Arsenal academy productt’s constant running with and without the ball caused all sorts of problems for Spurs. He wasn’t also short on imagination, creating some of the game’s best chances and providing eye catching moments.

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