Tottenham Vs Arsenal: How Arsenal’s Right-Flank Masterclass and Two Doubles Tore Spurs Apart

In a decisive north London derby, tottenham vs arsenal ended 4-1 as Arsenal’s superior quality and clever exploitation of Tottenham’s tactical vulnerabilities produced a comprehensive win. The result mattered because it simultaneously revived Arsenal’s title bid and laid bare the issues in Spurs’ setup under their new boss.

Tottenham Vs Arsenal: Scoreline, scorers and the late exodus

Arsenal ran away with a 4-1 north London derby win. Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyökeres both scored twice; Gyökeres also surged through in stoppage time to beat Guglielmo Vicario, a goal that prompted thousands of Spurs fans to stream for the exits. Spurs had earlier equalised when Randal Kolo Muani scored to make it 1-1 in the 34th minute, his first for the club in the league. Richarlison, on as a substitute, drew a brilliant save from David Raya on 84 minutes. The stadium atmosphere was far less toxic after the sacking of Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor’s appointment until the end of the season, with not really any boos evident.

Why Arsenal’s right-hand side dominated

Arsenal’s most consistent attacking edge came down their right-hand side, where Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber were dominant. Timber is described as one of the best attacking right-backs in the Premier League, if not the world, mixing support runs, overlaps and runs inside; he often had time on the ball to pick his passes. Saka, who had faced recent questions over his form, was back to a confident best in this match. The understanding between Saka and Jurrien Timber made it particularly difficult for Spurs to cope, and Timber’s pass to find Viktor Gyokeres set up Arsenal’s second goal.

How Spurs’ shape and covering choices left gaps

Spurs’ 3-5-2 shape under new boss Igor Tudor, and the fact they did not just sit in, left space for Arsenal to exploit in forward areas on Sunday. In practice, Spurs were often reactive rather than proactive in dealing with the danger down that flank. When Arsenal doubled up with Saka and Timber, Spurs tried to help Djed Spence but that created situations where players unfamiliar with defending those areas were exposed.

At times Xavi Simons, playing as a second striker, was having to run back to the left-back position to help. On other occasions it was Pape Matar Sarr coming over from midfield, or Mickey van de Ven covering from centre-half. Sarr was left to deal with Saka in the left-back position and could not stop the cross that led to Arsenal’s first goal. Spurs’ system also saw Simons and Sarr left to cover long distances to get back, producing a mixture of players not used to defending those areas and uncertainty over roles and timing.

Eze and Gyökeres at the double, and Eze’s rising status in the fixture

Both Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyökeres scored twice. Eze’s second for 3-1 just after the hour was described as the moment when any glimmer of Spurs hope left the building. Eze had been recalled to the starting lineup and struck early, breaking the deadlock after a move up Arsenal’s right. The sequence began with Timber feeding Saka for a one-on-one against Pape Sarr; Saka failed with his first move but won the ball back off Sarr and crossed low towards Eze. The ball deflected off Conor Gallagher, forcing Eze to reach back, flick the ball up and slash home on the volley.

Eze’s recent history in the derby is noted: he chose Arsenal over Spurs last summer and earlier scored a hat-trick in the north London derby in November, a match Arsenal also won 4-1. Eze is now Arsenal’s joint-third highest scorer in this fixture; only Robert Pires (seven) and Emmanuel Adebayor (six) have more.

Moments, missed chances and defensive snippets

Early in the game, when Arsenal had flickers of dominance, Saka played in Timber on four minutes and Gyökeres saw a header blocked in front of the line by Radu Dragusin. Dragusin cleared another chance away from his line in the fifth minute after Vicario left his line to head clear and Leandro Trossard returned the ball with interest from long range. Gyokeres also banged a shot just past the far post and William Saliba went close with a header after a corner. After Eze’s opener, Declan Rice could be seen pointing at his temples, urging focus from his Arsenal teammates — but it was Rice who was at fault for the unclear fragment in the provided context: "But it was Rice who was at fault for the"; unclear in the provided context.

Broader impact: title race breathing space and Spurs’ slide

Before this match Arsenal had been feeling pressure after a draw at Wolves that had been described as a disaster and a run of only two Premier League wins in seven. There was talk of anxiety around Mikel Arteta and his players, described as cracking up in the pursuit of the title. This result was framed as the soothing tonic they craved: a comfortable, confident dismissal of a Tottenham team desperate for a new-manager bounce under Igor Tudor. Arsenal are now back up to five points above Manchester City, albeit having played an extra game. For Spurs, their misery continues: it is now just two league wins in 18 and the injury-ravaged squad Tudor has inherited faces relegation fears running wild in this corner of north London.