With another chapter of this storied rivalry now in the history books, it is Arsenal who have grabbed the bragging rights for the next few months at least and on the evidence of Sunday’s performance, you would have to say it was well deserved.
The Gunners have been a mid-table team at best this season and although there have been glimpses of capability along the way, it has often been a case of one step forward and two steps back for Mikel Arteta’s men.
However, this was not the case at the Emirates and with Tottenham having designs on a top four finish at the end of the May and subsequent qualification to the Champions League, those designs may just have been erased.
With results going Tottenham’s way the day before, the script was written for Jose Mourinho’s group of players to take full advantage and solidify their chances of playing midweek European football next season.
However, if there was a pre-match script, then the visitors certainly fluffed their lines in the main event and after building up a recent head of steam in both the Premier and Europa League competitions, their momentum came to a shuddering halt against the Gunners.
In a bright start for Arsenal, they were certainly in the ascendency and with Emile Smith Rowe’s long-range effort cannoning back off the crossbar, it was an obvious warning sign to a misfiring Tottenham side.
Then again, misfiring may not be the best descriptor, as they failed to offer anything in attack in the first half hour and their plight was not helped after Heung-min Son suffered a hamstring injury early on.
While it was the South Korean’s replacement that sparked the game into life and although many criticise Erik Lamela for not having a right foot, his audacious rabona effort suggested that perhaps he does not need one.
Lamela’s masterful touch and finish saw Tottenham take the lead against the run of play and although they found themselves with an unlikely advantage, it was one that they failed to take into the interval.
Martin Odegaard’s deflected effort a minute before the break was one that squirmed past Hugo Lloris and in doing so, would have changed the team talks that both managers were just about to dish out.
While after those team talks Nicolas Pepe would also be introduced into the game and it was his raking long ball that caused panic in the mind of Davinson Sanchez, as the Colombian sliced through Alexander Lacazette.
Referee Michael Oliver had no other option than to award a penalty and Lacazette himself stepped up to give Arsenal a deserved lead – a lead that they managed to hold onto, until the man in the middle blew the final whistle.
Of course, Oliver was also responsible for another key flashpoint, as he would give Erik Lamela two yellow cards and with the former Roma midfielder walking down the tunnel, the hero had quickly become the villain.
As for heroics, Arsenal had to dig in at the end, as Tottenham finally awoke from their slumber in the final few minutes. However, it was a case of too little too late for the white half of North London and they made the short journey back to N17 empty handed.
