Spurs Vs Arsenal halted twice as referee tech failures overshadow Arsenal’s 4-1 derby victory
The north London clash between the clubs was beset by repeated technical failures to referee communications that forced stoppages, and the game — spurs vs arsenal — was interrupted twice before Arsenal ran out 4-1 winners. The delays drew angry reaction from pundits and fans even as Eberechi Eze and Victor Gyökeres scored twice apiece to put Arsenal five points clear at the top.
Spurs Vs Arsenal: Peter Bankes and the communication breakdown
Referee Peter Bankes stopped the match after seven minutes when he was unable to communicate with his linesman, and the officials’ equipment problems returned after the interval, producing a second, longer delay. One halt stretched for more than five minutes while staff adjusted kit and tried to restore contact. Officials eventually restarted play on both occasions, but the repeated interruptions forced players to rewarm and disrupted momentum on the pitch.
Gary Neville and fan fury at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Fans loudly booed the stoppages and the away end shifted from earlier chants such as "Are you Tottenham in disguise?!" to taunts like "Sacked in the morning!" Gary Neville reacted strongly in commentary, calling the scenes an "absolute shambles" and a "disgrace, " arguing that the match should not be halted for technological issues and urging officials to "read the room" in front of the 62, 000 in the stadium. Supporters and pundits said the interruptions killed Arsenal’s early momentum and, for Tottenham, provided a chance to regroup during a sluggish start to the Igor Tudor era.
Eberechi Eze and Victor Gyökeres lift Arsenal to a 4-1 win
When play did flow, Arsenal’s attack found consistent success from open play. Eberechi Eze scored twice and Victor Gyökeres also grabbed a brace as Arsenal recorded a 4-1 scoreline. Observers noted that all four goals came from open play. Gyökeres acknowledged he was pleased with parts of his performance but felt he could have done better in others, saying that the team practise their movements in training and he had tried to recreate an earlier opening between the sides by creating space for Eze. Eze said his work ethic and finishing put team-mates into dangerous positions, and there was talk that with Eze established in the first XI and Gyökeres more confident this match might be seen as a turning point.
Randal Kolo Muani: goal, disallowed second and VAR/linesman adjustments
The match narrative included a goal from Randal Kolo Muani that helped revive the contest at one stage, and he appeared to score again before that second effort was ruled out for an apparent foul on Gabriel. Officials’ adjustments to communication equipment after the break contributed to the delayed restart that followed the disallowed effort. Those sequences underlined the impact of the technical problems on key decisions and momentum swings in the fixture.
Table and form: Arsenal five points clear, Spurs in relegation danger
The result leaves Arsenal five points clear at the top of the table, having played a game more than Manchester City. Tottenham’s situation remains precarious: they are fifth from bottom in the standings, two points above Forest and four above West Ham, and have not won a game in 2026. Commentators and fans highlighted the gulf in form, with one observer noting that Spurs had managed four shots in the game, more than the three they managed in the first fixture between the clubs this season.
Matchday vignettes, reactions and wider consequences
Beyond the goals and stoppages, small moments populated the afternoon: Declan Rice briefly pulled his shirt up to speak with Bukayo Saka, and at 90+3 minutes Gary Neville gave Gyökeres the player-of-the-match nod as the crowd began to depart. A columnist also questioned military involvement in sports coverage in passing, and one pundit suggested Chelsea’s upcoming visit would pose different, more demanding questions for Tottenham. The timing of the technical failures mattered: they interrupted a high-profile derby, altered the flow of play on two separate occasions and provoked a rare, vocal backlash from commentators and supporters.
On balance the match combined a decisive performance on the field — spurs vs arsenal ended with four open-play goals for Arsenal — with an off-field story about refereeing technology and match management that will be discussed as much as the scoreline itself.
