Premier League - Arsenal take derby spoils

Eurosport - Sat, 31 Oct 10:54:00 2009

Arsenal won the 145th North London derby with a comfortable 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium.

Robin van Persie - Arsenal - 0

The victory took the total number of Premier League points earned by manager Arsene Wenger to 1,000, but the Frenchman will be more pleased to see his side move up to second place in the table, temporarily at least.

Two rapid-fire goals at the end of the first half from Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas took the game away from Spurs, and Van Persie added another after the break to seal the Gunners' 60th league win over their local rivals and extend their unbeaten run against them in the league to a full decade.

Up until that point, Tottenham had made a good job of containing Arsenal, allowing them plenty of possession but denying them chances to get behind their back line.

That resolve lasted until the 42nd minute when Bacary Sagna was allowed time to cross for Van Persie at the near post, and the Dutchman got ahead of Ledley King to steer the ball past Heurelho Gomes, who could not get a strong enough hand to it.

That goal may have been a blow for Spurs, but from the subsequent kick-off they were masters of their own undoing. Wilson Palacios was far too casual in the centre circle, allowing Van Persie to steal the ball off him. It fell to Fabregas, who ghosted past challenges from Palacios and King before firing a terrific low finish past Gomes to register a crushing second goal just 11 seconds after the opener.

Tottenham's humiliation in their neighbours' back yard was completed when Van Persie was gifted his eighth goal in his last nine matches on the hour mark. Benoit Assou-Ekotto fouled Sagna on the wing, but the Frenchman stayed on his feet leading referee Mark Clattenburg to wave play on. Everyone else stopped except for Sagna, who once more had all the time he needed to pick out a cross that evaded Gomes and gave Van Persie the simplest of tap-ins.

Nicklas Bendtner had started alongside Van Persie in the Arsenal attack but was forced to withdraw after 37 minutes with a groin strain.

Eduardo da Silva came on in the Dane's place, and spurned some decent opportunities. After beating a flat-footed Spurs back line, the Croatia striker had his shot blocked by the onrushing Gomes.

Soon afterwards he was presented with a similar opportunity, only to be caught in two minds between lobbing Gomes and finishing past him, and in the end trickled an effort wide.

Spurs, missing the suspended Jermain Defoe and still without the injured Luka Modric, lacked penetration and struggled to create many clear cut chances throughout the game. The only time the returning Manuel Almunia was forced into a save was when he tipped a free-kick over the bar from former Gunner David Bentley.

After Spurs captain Robbie Keane's comments earlier in the week that the Tottenham squad is stronger than Arsenal's, this result reiterated just how much work Harry Redknapp and his players have to do to catch up with their rivals at the other end of the Seven Sisters Road.

Tony Mabert / Eurosport

Comment 113 - 132 of 132

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  1. #92 Quote "you­ passed the ball all along the­ midfield". That's the idea of the­ game.

    Better than the Wimbledon/Watford Route 1 tactic­ Spurs used to Crouch every time. The ball was a danger­ to airliners making their approach in to Heathrow when­ the mighty Spurs thudded the ball upfield. BOOM!­ I'm amazed the lanky git doesn't have his head­ battered into his body with all the headers he has to­ do....

    From Delberto Gooner, on Mon 2 Nov 2:36PM

  2. So they spend £91m in a year on players and still moan­ when their squad has a few injuries.

    Wednapp said in­ the week that they had a stronger squad than the­ Arsenal? But now they have been comprehensively beaten­ he suddenly remembers that they are missing­ "key" players. Modric hasn't played for­ months and they won without him. Defoe is out because­ he's a nasty piece of work and stamped on a bloke­ on the floor. Lennon injured himself as did the oaf­ yesterday.

    Woodgate? Injured. Only Michael Owen is­ on a par with him for injuries!! So why buy a crock in­ the first place? Dawson? Championship player through­ and through.

    King? God one day and now the villain.­ Cue "Ledley is a @#$%" style chanting from­ the Spurs mongs any day now.

    Just admit it. You play­ with the big boys and lose.... MUFC, Chelsea and the­ Arsenal.... You might have a chance against Liverpool­ to get into the Top 4.

    From Delberto Gooner, on Mon 2 Nov 2:29PM

  3. arsenal squad play well.........
    so,please win in­ another matches

    From amir aizat, on Mon 2 Nov 2:02AM

  4. Is Arshavin better than Modric?

    Yes(thumbs­ up)
    No(thumbs down)

    From chilton826, on Sun 1 Nov 9:08PM

  5. hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.reserves.....Kea­ ne reckons you got a better squad n we had as many­ players out.hilarious 3-0. boot the ball long to crouch­ then run out of ideas.dear oh dear.

    From lookin4ferdy, on Sun 1 Nov 1:45PM
  6. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    GAP WHAT GAP ?
    The league table is the same as it was­ before your greatest ever victory yesterday lunchtime­ against our reserves (with a few pub performances­ thrown in), except the 3 points we will have back from­ you later in the season.
    The Gap is we have seen­ silverware at our current stadium you have not­ matey.
    There is a Big 2 and a chasing 6 only you boys­ drinking Wenger Juice think you are in the Big 2 if not­ gtobby, have a big bet themn you will be favourites.
    PS­ THOUGHT THE MISSING 56,000 FLAGS WOULD BE OUT YESTERDAY­ IN CELEBRATION.

    From ainotse, on Sun 1 Nov 1:25PM

  7. GAP WHAT GAP ?
    The league table is the same as it was­ before your greatest ever victory yesterday lunchtime­ against our reserves (with a few pub performances­ thrown in), except the 3 points we will have back from­ you later in the season.
    The Gap is we have seen­ silverware at our current stadium you have not­ matey.
    There is a Big 2 and a chasing 6 only you boys­ drinking Wenger Juice think you are in the Big 2 if not­ gtobby, have a big bet themn you will be favourites.
    PS­ THOUGHT THE MISSING 56,000 FLAGS WOULD BE OUT YESTERDAY­ IN CELEBRATION.

    From ainotse, on Sun 1 Nov 1:24PM

  8. comment 137. You are completely deluded. Remember the­ saying "MIND THE GAP". Also 1, 2, and 3.....­ NILLLLL.

    From nimishshah2004, on Sun 1 Nov 12:24PM

  9. comment 137,,,,see you at the lane ( where we have won­ 2 div 1's and a prem trophy by the way,,,,god, that­ must cut!)with our first team also...or maybe the­ kids...on this evidence they would murder­ you.......enjoy your sunday lunch!!!!!!!

    From p.worthington02, on Sun 1 Nov 11:59AM

  10. keane,,,the liverpool reject just ate his words!flat­ faced idiot! and as for harry 'quasimodo'­ redknapp saying the sqauds are equal, looks like the­ pair are eating sunday lunch together today!!!
    as we­ sung on the tube going home, mind the gap, mind the­ gap, mind the gap,,,,,,,mind the gap, mind the gap,­ mind the gap.

    From p.worthington02, on Sun 1 Nov 11:55AM

  11. 3-0 Hahahahahaha!

    From Lawrence, on Sun 1 Nov 10:28AM

  12. 137.... another deluded yid... you lot dont half talk­ some s h i t e... you were totally outclassed...­ eduardo could have had a hatrick on another day, and­ almunia didnt make one save.. as london underground­ keep telling us, i'll tell you:- MIND THE GAP!

    From N5nipper, on Sun 1 Nov 9:10AM
  13. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Well done to Arsenal, but just to say we would have­ lost by the same score to Hull or Birmingham yesterday.­ You had 2 attempts in the first 42 mins both with ­ hideous assists from Huddlestone & Assey-Okoto,­ then we decided to have a kip on the pitch (pub team­ style like we did against Man U last year after the­ penalty !) for 30 seconds and concede 2 goals. You­ concentrated for 92 mins today and deserved your win­ makes a change (after about 30 score draws) and we were­ rubbish even King had a bad day.
    See you at the lane­ when we will have our 1st team available to get the­ points back on our tally, no problem.

    From ainotse, on Sun 1 Nov 7:37AM

  14. Did Arsenal deserved the win?
    Yes(thumbs up)­­­­­
    No(thumbs down)

    From Tham, on Sun 1 Nov 7:34AM

  15. So happy that cocky Keane eat his own words.

    From Tham, on Sun 1 Nov 7:33AM

  16. Did Almunia did well today against Tottenham?­­­­
    Yes(thumbs up)
    No(thumbs down)

    From Tham, on Sun 1 Nov 7:33AM

  17. harry the fact that your team isn't good is true!­ wake up! and don't continue your team's­ embrassing remark after what Keane had say..

    From afiq a, on Sun 1 Nov 7:15AM

  18. we have now played the so called top 4 and been­ outclassed on 3 occasions top 4 dont make me laugh we­ still have a long way 2 go

    From cyprusyid, on Sun 1 Nov 5:49AM

  19. Osama Bin Laden sent out a new video to prove he was­­ still alive, in it he said Spurs were rubbish­ recently,And that arsenal would win 3-0. But­ Britsh­ intelligence dissmissed it saying:­ ''That­ could have been recorded anytime in the­ last 8 years

    From lubov, on Sun 1 Nov 2:44AM

  20. What a win. Not one , or two but three. Keane better­ watch your mouth before you speak. Silence is golden!!­ GUNNERS RULE.

    From nimishshah2004, on Sun 1 Nov 1:19AM
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