Tottenham v Arsenal LIVE: Result and final score as Gabriel wins fierce north London derby
Arsenal won the first north London derby of the season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Gabriel’s second-half header earned Arsenal a crucial 1-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur in a feisty north London derby on Sunday to keep pace with early Premier League leaders Manchester City.
Spurs started sharper, and David Raya was forced into early saves before Arsenal fought their way into the contest, although Jurrien Timber was perhaps fortunate to avoid a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Pedro Porro in the first half.
The game was breathless but low on quality in front of goal until Arsenal punished Spurs from a corner, Gabriel escaping from Cristian Romero and powering a header past Guglielmo Vicario from close range in the 64th minute.
Arsenal withstood some late pressure from Spurs to secure the win, which puts them on 10 points, two behind champions City ahead of their trip to the Etihad next Sunday, while Spurs have four points from four games.
Ange Postecoglou: I’d be disappointed if Spurs wanted derby win more than usual
Ange Postecoglou understands the significance of Sunday’s visit of Arsenal, but would be disappointed if his Tottenham players wanted to win this match more than next week’s trip to Coventry.
Spurs have failed to taste success in any of the last four north London derby fixtures, with Mikel Arteta able to turn the Gunners into Premier League title contenders in recent years.
Postecoglou largely enjoyed a positive debut campaign in England but found himself at odds with sections of the Spurs fanbase in May when Manchester City visited N17.
City made the trip to Tottenham on May 14 with home supporters conflicted, given a positive result for Spurs would have put Arsenal in the driving seat to win the title, but the visitors ran out narrow 2-0 winners.
Nevertheless, Postecoglou wants his squad to go into every match with the same desire.
Ange Postecoglou: I’d be disappointed if Spurs wanted derby win more than usual
The Australian coach is unwavering in his belief that Spurs are on the right path under his management.
Ange Postecoglou feels Tottenham can bridge gap to Man City and Arsenal quickly
Ange Postecoglou knows it will not be easy for Tottenham to close the gap on last season’s Premier League top two but believes they can achieve it quickly.
Spurs finished 25 and 23 points behind champions Manchester City and runners-up Arsenal respectively last season despite a largely positive debut campaign for Postecoglou.
Arsenal make the short trip across north London to face Tottenham on Sunday and Postecoglou is firm in his belief they can bridge the gap to Mikel Arteta’s title challengers.
He said: “You have to acknowledge it. That’s the starting point. If you think there isn’t a massive gap, then it kind of defeats the purpose.
“That shouldn’t be daunting. It shouldn’t make you think it’s insurmountable. I certainly don’t think it is.
“I think that gap that exists between us and the top teams, we can bridge and we can bridge very quickly if we stay disciplined and focused on what we’re trying to do.
“Improve our squad, improve the way we play our football, allow our group to learn to win on a consistent basis and what that requires. And that sometimes means missteps along the way,” he added.
Mikel Arteta signs new Arsenal contract
Some of the big news in the lead-up to this weekend has been Mikel Arteta’s decision to sign a new three-year contract with Arsenal, committing his future to the club until 2027.
The Spaniard, who has been in charge since late 2019, had entered the final 12 months of his previous deal at the start of the season.
Arteta has helped transform Arsenal’s ambitions since replacing Unai Emery, leading the club to Premier League title challenges in each of the last two seasons.
Upon announcement of the extension, Arteta said: “I feel extremely proud, very excited, and I am looking forward to what is coming next. I’m proud to be where I am and have the relationships that I have with everyone at the club.
“I feel extremely lucky to work every single day with good people and the ambition we have here. I feel very inspired, I feel challenged, I feel supported and I want to do much more than what we’ve already done together.
“Together with the players and everyone at the club, we are looking forward to the coming years, with our supporters, who have emotionally transformed the club and the team. Our supporters have transformed individuals and we are different now. You can tell that we are different and for me, that is down to them. We look forward to continuing the journey together.”
Arteta will hope it’s third time lucky this season as he challenges Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City for the title once again.
Arsenal have quality in their squad to cope with absentees – Ange Postecoglou
Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou has warned his squad not to expect to face a weakened Arsenal team on Sunday.
The Gunners will definitely be without midfielder Declan Rice due to suspension, while summer recruit Mikel Merino is sidelined with a shoulder injury and captain Martin Odegaard is expected to miss out after he sustained an ankle issue on international duty with Norway.
However, Postecoglou bristled at the notion it could be a good opportunity for Spurs to face their north London rivals, who have finished second in each of the last two Premier League seasons.
“God, that’s a hell of a trap to fall into if you think they’re reliant on two players,” Postecoglou said. “Two important players, but we were missing key players last year as well and we still managed to give significant performances”.
Mikel Arteta issues Martin Odegaard injury update ahead of north London derby
Mikel Arteta has revealed the latest on Martin Odegaard’s fitness after the Arsenal captain was injured on international duty for Norway.
Odegaard sustained an ankle injury while playing for his national sideagainst Austria on Monday and was consoled by Premier League title rival Erling Haaland.
Arsenal take on Tottenham in the north London derby on Sunday, but are likely to be without Odegaard, and Declan Rice has already been ruled out of the match when he was shown a red card against Brighton.
Arteta said at the press conference ahead of the north London derby: “We need some more tests so let’s see what happens in the next day or so, this afternoon probably, and see what happens with the extent of the injury and how quickly we can get him back.
Mikel Arteta issues Martin Odegaard injury update ahead of north London derby
Declan Rice has already been ruled out of the north London derby after being sent off against Brighton
Predicted line-ups
Tottenham XI: Vicario; Porro, Dragusin, Romero, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma; Odobert, Maddison, Kulusevski; Son.
Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Gabriel, Saliba, Timber; Partey, Jorginho; Saka, Trossard, Sterling; Havertz
Is Tottenham vs Arsenal on TV today? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch Premier League fixture
When is Tottenham vs Arsenal?
Tottenham vs Arsenal kicks off at 2pm BST today, Sunday 15 September, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage starting at 1pm on the latter. Subscribers will also be able to watch on NOW TV online and on the app.
Arsenal early team news
For Arsenal, Declan Rice is suspended after his red card against Brighton, so Mikel Arteta may decide to go with Jorginho in midfield alongside Thomas Partey.
The Gunners boss refused to rule Martin Odegaard out of contention despite the Arsenal captain getting injured on international duty for Norway, and Gabriel Jesus could return after a recent groin injury.
Summer loan signing Raheem Sterling is in contention to make his Arsenal debut.
Spurs early team news
Ange Postecoglou says all his international players returned with no major issues though Yves Bissouma has a knock that he received treatment for on Friday.
Bissouma’s potential absence could mean a start in midfield for Rodrigo Bentancur who was recently charged with misconduct over a joke made about Son Heung-min. Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke are available but Richarlison and Will Lankshear are still recovering from injury.
Tottenham vs Arsenal LIVE
Tottenham Hotspur face Arsenal on Sunday afternoon in the first north London derby of the new Premier League season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Spurs come back from the international break having had a mixed start to the season, with one win, one draw and a loss to Newcastle United in their most recent match.
And Arsenal enter the weekend having suffered a frustrating result of their own, with a 1-1 draw to Brighton following two dominant wins to open the season.
The match is the first in a long run of difficult matches for the Gunners, as they start their Champions League campaign against Atalanta before facing Manchester City next weekend.
The away side will be keen to remind rivals of their title credentials after dropping two points last time out, while Spurs will look to get back on track with a potentially decisive win.
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