"It's disappointing in some ways" - Gary Neville opens up on 'determining factor' in Tottenham's win over Arsenal
Manchester United legend Gary Neville feels Rob Holding's red card was the biggest factor in Tottenham Hotspur's victory over Arsenal on Thursday night.
Spurs cruised to a 3-0 win in the north London derby to cut the gap on the Gunners to just one point as the race for fourth place got hotter. Harry Kane was at the double for the hosts before Son Heung-min put the match beyond doubt shortly after the restart.
Arsenal defender Rob Holding was sent off 33 minutes into kick-off, earning his second booking for a shove on Son, with the visitors trailing 1-0.
Rob Holding took 'North London is red' way too seriously https://t.co/yunE076us5
Neville feels that was the turning point in the game, and he would've preferred to see the Gunners mount a comeback with all 11 players on the field. Speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast, the Sky Sports pundit said:
"The big determining factor was the red card for Holding, but it did take away from the game a little bit. It's disappointing in some ways because it would have been great to see Arsenal with 11 men, trying to come back from 2-0 down at half time, or even 1-0 down."
He continued:
"It took away from the game a little bit, slowed it down because the first 20 or 25 minutes was really intriguing and had a lot about it. It was quite frantic and fast at times."
Holding was seen roughhousing Son with petulent challenges, but his elbow tackle on the Korean was the straw that broke the camel's back. Neville slammed the Arsenal defender for his naivety, saying:
"I was watching the run of Son (before the red card), I always watch those inside runs of the strikers to see what's coming, particularly when there's a ball there… I think if he leans, then he's OK, and he doesn't get booked. But I think there's a little bit of elbow in it, and the VAR replays we saw straight away just confirmed that. It was absolute madness from Holding, it really was."
Holding is now suspended for Arsenal's trip to Newcastle on Monday.
Arsenal's Champions League push dealt another blow
The Gunners bounced back from a run of three consecutive defeats last month to win their next four, boosting their UEFA Champions League hopes.
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Spurs move to within a point of fourth-placed Arsenal with a 3-0 win over their rivals at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. https://t.co/IDz8CrWujh
However, last night's defeat has once again plunged those hopes into uncertainty, especially with Spurs now just a point below them. Mikel Arteta's side must win their two remaining games unless their derby rivals slip up and give them some breathing room.