The north London derby was one for the history books as Arsenal came back from a goal down at the interval to beat Spurs 4-2. The Gunners’ derby win was certainly deserved and three players were the key to victory.
Three Key Players From Arsenal’s Derby Win
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
The Gabon striker has had a great season so far but this was probably his best performance. Aubameyang’s pace made life difficult for the Spurs defence as he kept making runs in behind.
He also used his speed well to put pressure on the opposition defenders throughout the 90 minutes. This forced Tottenham to send the ball long to relieve the pressure, which caused several turnovers.
Aubameyang also proved that his finishing touch is among the finest in football. His equalizer in the second half came from well outside the box, yet left Hugo Lloris with almost no chance at a save.
He also took his penalty well in the first half, sending the ball hard and low to beat the keeper. Aubameyang did see one chance go wanting in the first half when he took the ball first-time and tried to sneak it through Lloris’ legs.
However, despite the lone miss, Aubameyang did well enough to secure top spot in the scoring charts with his ninth and tenth league goals this season.
Lucas Torreira
The Uruguayan has probably been Arsenal’s best player this season and he had a typical fantastic performance in the derby. Torreira made three tackles, one interception and one clearance against Spurs.
His distribution was also excellent, completing 89.6% of attempted passes and even completed three long balls. However, unlike his early season performance, Torreira got forward very well in Arsenal’s derby win.
Just like against Bournemouth, the Uruguayan took three shots and even bagged his first Premier League goal. Lucas Torreira is proving that he is more than just a defensive midfielder and can contribute all over the pitch.
Alexandre Lacazette
When Arsenal came out for the second half, there were two new faces on the pitch. Alexandre Lacazette and Aaron Ramsey replaced Alex Iwobi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, neither of whom had very impressive matches.
This daring double switch really changed the momentum of the match and got the Gunners playing on the front foot again. Lacazette especially was very lively and popped up all over the pitch.
The striker could be seen latching on to the end of long balls, connecting the play with his midfielders and strike partner and even doing some defending. However, it was his game-winning goal which lands him on this list.
A fortuitous deflection off of Eric Dier helped the ball past Lloris, however, the weak-footed strike was taken very well and due to the player’s overall performance was just about deserved.
Last Word
Arsenal’s derby win wasn’t always nice to look at, however, they were the better side. This bodes well for the rest of the season as their opponents on the day have already beaten both Chelsea and Manchester United.
With a trip to Old Trafford midweek, the Gunners can’t rest on their laurels, however, and must replicate this performance to get another win. Should Unai Emery be able to do so, there is no reason a top-four finish is unattainable this season.
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