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.
Mikel Arteta says Arsenal will have ‘unbelievable energy’ against Tottenham
Mikel Arteta has warned Tottenham that his depleted Arsenal side will arrive for Sunday’s north London derby with unbelievable energy and belief that they will beat their rivals.
Arsenal are set to kick off a pivotal week in their quest for silverware, with a trip to Spurs followed by their Champions League opener at Atalanta. They will then head to Manchester City a week on Sunday.
But the Gunners will do so without Declan Rice – suspended for the game against Tottenham after he was controversially sent off in the draw with Brighton at the Emirates – and summer signing Mikel Merino, who is sidelined with a fractured shoulder.
Captain Martin Odegaard is also set for a spell on the sidelines after sustaining an ankle injury on international duty with Norway. Arteta has so far been coy on the length of Odegaard’s absence.
It leaves the Spaniard facing a serious rejig ahead of a fixture which he admitted will lay the foundations for a period already being described as make-or-break for Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta says Arsenal will have ‘unbelievable energy’ against Tottenham
Arsenal will kick off a pivotal week in their quest for silverware, with a trip to Spurs followed by their Champions League opener at Atalanta.
Ange Postecoglou’s improving Spurs ready for Arsenal challenge
Ange Postecoglou says his team are ‘in a good place to push on’ as he takes charge of Tottenham Hotspur in another north London derby on Sunday.
Spurs are hoping to respond after a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle in what has been an indifferent start to the 2024/25 campaign with one win, one draw and one defeat from their three matches so far.
The derby is a crucial fixture every season and Tottenham have a slight advantage given they are playing at home and Arsenal are undergoing something of an injury crisis but Postecoglou believes the Gunners will be a ‘tough nut to crack’.
“We want to be a club that can challenge everyone, that’s what we are trying to aim to become.” said the Tottenham boss in his pre-match press conference on Friday.
“To do that, you’ve got to perform at a certain level, at a consistent basis, the squad’s strong enough to do that. We’ve started the season fairly solidly, from a performance perspective. The results haven’t reflected that but I think we’re in a good place to push on from last year and improve on all areas. There’s no reason why we can’t [challenge] this year.”
Ange Postecoglou’s improving Spurs ready for Arsenal challenge
The Tottenham boss also provided injury updates for his squad and addressed Rodrigo Bentancur’s misconduct charges
Mikel Arteta has only made two changes to the side that drew to Brighton in controversial circumstances before the international break.
The suspended Declan Rice makes way for Jorginho, while the injured Odegaard is replaced by Gabriel Martinelli. The Brazilian goes straight to the left wing, with Havertz dropping back into midfield and Leandro Trossard leading the attack.
Spurs team news
For the home side, there are four changes to the side that lost against Newcastle last time out.
In defence, Micky van de Ven comes in for Radu Dragusin, while in midfield, Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma drop out for Bentancur and Kulusevski.
Wilson Odobert is replaced by Brennan Johnson in attack, with Kulusevski dropping back into midfield as Dominic Solanke returns.
Arsenal line-up
Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Gabriel, Saliba, Timber; Partey, Jorginho, Havertz; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli.
Subs: Neto, Kiwior, Kacurri, Heaven, Lewis-Skelly, Sterling, Nwaneri, Jesus, Kabia.
Spurs line-up
Tottenham XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie; Kulusevski, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son.
Subs: Forster, Spence, Davies, Dragusin, Gray, Sarr, Bergvall, Odobert, Werner.
How will Mikel Arteta set Arsenal up?
The big question today is how Arsenal set up without Declan Rice and likely without their captain, Martin Odegaard.
Jorginho will likely come into midfield to ease the loss of Rice, and he would probably start alongside Thomas Partey.
Odegaard is arguably a bigger loss though, with the Gunners captain also acting as their main creative spark. One interesting option – especially if Gabriel Jesus is fit – could be dropping Havertz into Odegaard’s role, or in a more attacking role as a traditional ‘10’ – where the German started his career for Bayer Leverkusen.
Alternatively, Leandro Trossard could play the advanced midfield role, or even start up top if Havertz was moved back. An even more surprising move would be if Arteta were to have faith in 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri, who has long been rated as one of the most promising prospects at the club.
Additionally, it will be interesting to see if we get the first glimpses of Raheem Sterling in an Arsenal shirt today.
Line-ups are expected at around 12.45pm.
Talking points: Can Spurs build on a mixed start to the season?
Spurs have won one, drawn one and lost one in their first three games this season, so it is a mixed start for a side that promised much in Postecoglou’s first season in charge.
But, like last season, Spurs have played well for the most part but have had lapses in concentration and quality that have cost them.
A disappointing draw in their opener away at Leicester was followed by a thrilling 4-0 win over Everton, but Spurs then slipped to a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle before the international break.
Today will be their toughest test so far, but it would certainly be a marker to their rivals if Spurs could grab a win.
However, it would pose more questions around the side and Postecoglou, mainly regarding why their form is so up-and-down for prolonged periods despite having a squad that boasts plenty of quality.
Arteta v Postecoglou
Postecoglou is yet to beat Mikel Arteta, with Spurs having drawn and lost to Arsenal last season.
The two teams drew 2-2 at the Emirates just under a year ago, before a 3-2 thriller went Arsenal’s way in April at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Ange Postecoglou: I’d be disappointed if Spurs wanted derby win more than usual
“I don’t feel any more pressure because there was pressure in that (Man City) game. I want to win every game,” Postecoglou said.
“I don’t care who we are playing. Let’s go out and play each other. I would want to beat you!
“I really would hate to think there are players in the dressing room who want to win this game more than any others.
“Or prepare differently or try harder in this game than any other, because that’s not the way forward. We understand the significance of it because if we do win, our supporters will be over the moon.
“I understand that if we don’t win, they are going to be devastated, but if we prepare this game differently than any other, then I’m disappointed because I want to win every time. That’s the only way you can be successful.
“I make no apologies for that. I’m not going to prepare any different for this game than I did against Newcastle or I will against Coventry.
“I want to win all the time and I want our club to win all the time. And if you do that then, yeah, if you beat your rivals in a big derby game then everyone gets excited and everyone feels great, but I want more than that.”
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