Arsenal 4-2 Tottenham Hotspur: 4 Things we learnt from the North London derby
The North London derby at the Emirates on Sunday afternoon was a rousing affair with goals galore. The game was on a knife-edge throughout, with Dier’s celebration adding another dimension to an already heated rivalry.
The tackles started flying in right at the outset as Arsenal set the pace against their North London rivals. The Gunners controlled the initial proceedings and deservedly went ahead after Vetronghen’s inexplicable handball handed Arsenal a penalty. Aubameyang stepped up and coolly slotted past Lloris.
However, the game was to turn on its head minutes later. Awarded a free kick on the left side, Eriksen curled in a majestic cross, which Dier slotted past an unconvincing Leno. A couple of minutes later, Mike Dean awarded Spurs a contentious penalty after Son went down under minimal contact.
For all of the Gunners’ exuberant play, they found themselves trailing at the break. However, the introductions of Lacazette and Ramsey tilted the game in their favour once and for all. The former scored the decisive third goal while the latter set up the equaliser and Lacazette’s goal.
With the Gunners putting in such an exciting display, the Arsenal faithful’s joy knew no bounds. There were many aspects that came to light through the course of the game and that is what we are going to tackle in this article.
In this piece, we would go through 4 things that we learnt from the see-saw North London Derby. Here is a look at them:
#4 Three at the back is a viable option for Arsenal
For the second successive game, Unai Emery opted for a back three, comprising of Mustafi, Sokratis and Holding. The trio didn’t disappoint and kept the prolific Kane quiet for long periods of time.
Additionally, the tweak in system let the leash off the full-backs as they had the entirety of the wide channels to wreak havoc. Provided with increased freedom to venture forward, Kolasinac and Bellerin were constant menaces down their flanks with the former enjoying his best game of the campaign. Both the aforementioned full backs still look a little suspect defensively. Hence, the new ‘three at the back’ system could provide them the necessary protection.
The 3-4-1-2 or the 3-4-2-1 would also present the opportunity of allowing the likes of Ramsey and Ozil to play with lesser inhibitions as Torreira and Xhaka invariably find themselves blocking the opposition’s path to goal.
Moreover, the system accorded Emery the opportunity to play his star strikers up front. Lacazette and Aubameyang troubled the Spurs defence throughout and grabbed a goal apiece in the second half.
One of the most exciting aspects of the Gunners’ play is the partnership between Lacazette and Aubameyang. In playing three at the back, they can harness that relationship while also not compromising on the width and extra protection at the back.
Thus, moving forward, the three at the back could well become Emery’s trusted lieutenant.