Arsenal managed to find a way. With a mix of skill, hard effort, and a little bit of luck, Mikel Arteta’s team defeated arch rivals Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 on Sunday. This win gave them the confidence they needed to hold Manchester City to account for the remaining Premier League games.
The Gunners are committed to preventing a recurrence of their season-ending collapse in the latter stages of play. A carefree squad that was ready to face anybody, anywhere, at any moment, lacked the flexibility to handle the pressure of competing when the goal was in sight.
In the lead-up to this match, Arteta said that he had spoken with former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger over how to handle the “later stages” of a title fight. Even if it may not be enough—City will win the championship for the fifth time in six seasons if they win their remaining games—Arsenal is shown that they have the necessary skill set to handle these situations, which is encouraging for the future.
Arteta spoke on the need to sometimes “leave your ego and your ideology aside and do what you have to do to win the game” in order to succeed in important games, after he compromised his ideals to implement a safety-first, defensive game plan to clinch a 0-0 draw at City last month. Arsenal was equally cautious in this instance, but Arteta said it was more a result of Tottenham’s aggressive playmaking than of a prearranged plan. “They made us do it,” Arteta said. “We had an issue with the high press.”
Yet Arsenal managed to pull it off. In contrast to their 1-1 draw with City, the Gunners combined their offensive strength with defensive determination to quickly build a 3-0 lead with goals from Pierre-Emile Højbjerg in the 15th minute, Bukayo Saka in the spectacular counterattack, and Kai Havertz with a header seven minutes before halftime.
What happened next served as a reminder that Arsenal is still very much a work in progress when it comes to developing into a side that can win in a variety of ways with the kind of authority City regularly exhibits. Spurs needed Arsenal to fuel their comeback despite Cristian Romero hitting the post and Micky Van der Ven’s equalizing goal being disallowed for offside on VAR review. Romero scored a straightforward goal in the 64th minute after David Raya gave him the ball. This easy finish excited the fans, who were then more incensed when Declan Rice made another mistake by kicking Ben Davies in the area, giving Son Heung-Min a chance to score a penalty kick in the 87th minute.
After a tense conclusion, Arsenal maintained their composure to win and eliminate one of their hardest remaining obstacles. Conclusions will be shaped by the outcome of the championship match, but it felt reasonable to at least ask Arteta whether Arsenal is really improving from the side that was unsuccessful in April of last year.
With a “I think so,” Arteta replied. “That’s always the case when you prevail. We didn’t last season because we wanted to play West Ham and we missed a penalty [resulting in a draw], and we let up a goal in the 91st minute [to draw] against Liverpool. Then you’re not competent.”Ultimately, the decision will be made based on that result. We wouldn’t have been prepared if they had scored a last-minute goal to tie the game at three. There are very few margins. Be careful not to overindulge yourself. Our goal is to improve.”
The squad led by Arteta showed a level of cunning that Ange Postecoglou, his opponent, would believe Tottenham lacks. The Australian relies on an existing member of the backstage setup for set-piece work, never hiring a designated expert for that role in his crew. While there is no certain formula for success, there are days like these when it seems like the 58-year-old is lacking something, especially in comparison to Nicolas Jover. The Frenchman, who was taken from City in July 2021, prowls the touchline in every dead-ball scenario. overseeing a record that has seen Arsenal score more goals (16) in the Premier League in a single season from corners than any other club since the 2016–17 West Bromwich Albion squad under Tony Pulis.
Postecoglou, however, centered his analysis mostly on Arsenal’s game management maturity as the key component that explains why Spurs are fighting—and maybe losing—the struggle for fourth place while Arsenal is putting up a strong second-place campaign for the championship.
“If I thought us fixing defensive set-pieces was the answer to us bridging the gap then I would put all my time and effort into that but it is not where we’re at,” he added. “It’s about not being as fixated on the specifics, not just the set pieces, for us. Many times during a game, we fail to see that if you allow skilled opponents the time and space to act, they will inflict harm on you.We still lack a laser-like concentration on the little details that separate a contending squad from one like us. Arsenal deserves praise. Now that they are there. They are a team that excels in handling the specifics. Thousands of them. the little details. You cannot lose concentration at any one time or allow good competition the luxury of time and space.”
When Romero was particularly asked about his participation, Postecoglou gave a sharp response, saying, “He was outstanding.” He’s a World Cup champion; all I need to do is transfer some of his energy to the other players.”
Using Havertz’s big-game experience, Rice’s demeanor, and Saka’s unwavering desire to commit defenders and continue the battle, Arsenal and Arteta seem to have already accomplished that. Thomas Partey’s toughness was a welcome addition in midfield, while Gabriel and William Saliba continue to give a strong foundation.
Arsenal seems ready to push City to the very end, even if the combination may not win them the championship they so much want.
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Arsenal ignores derby pressure to issue a championship warning to Man City
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