Arsenal delivered a commanding performance in the North London Derby, defeating Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to keep control of the Premier League title race and extend their dominance in this fierce rivalry. The result ensured the Gunners stayed ahead of Manchester City while making it five straight derby victories.
The atmosphere was intense from the opening whistle. With Igor Tudor now in charge of Spurs, the home crowd turned their frustration towards Arsenal early on. Boos rang out whenever the visitors controlled possession, but the Gunners remained composed and quickly imposed their style.
Arsenal dominated the ball in the opening stages and created the first clear chances. Viktor Gyökeres was denied by Radu Drăgușin, while Leandro Trossard saw a long-range effort comfortably dealt with. Gyökeres then came close again, flashing a shot narrowly wide. The rhythm of the match was briefly disrupted when play was halted due to a communication fault involving the officials.
Once the game resumed, Arsenal continued to threaten. William Saliba headed wide from a well-crafted corner routine, and Trossard failed to capitalise on a poor pass from Xavi Simons, sending his effort off target.
Tottenham attempted to respond despite Archie Gray taking a blow to the face. However, Arsenal struck first just after the half-hour mark. Bukayo Saka showed determination to beat his marker before finding Eberechi Eze, who reacted sharply after his initial touch to give the visitors the lead.
Spurs hit back almost immediately. Only 24 seconds after the restart, Randal Kolo Muani dispossessed Declan Rice and fired past David Raya to level the score. Arsenal nearly regained the lead before the break, but Trossard again missed the target with a shot that drifted wide.
There was another delay before the second half due to communication issues, yet Arsenal quickly regained focus. Simons tested Raya early, but it was Gyökeres who restored Arsenal’s advantage within 90 seconds of the restart, finishing emphatically beyond Guglielmo Vicario.
Kolo Muani briefly thought he had equalised again, but his goal was ruled out after a push on Gabriel Magalhães. Arsenal then took control of the contest. Saka combined well with Eze but was denied, and shortly afterwards Eze struck again, taking his tally to five goals in his last two North London Derby appearances.
Despite Arsenal’s dominance, Spurs continued to search for a way back. Raya produced a superb save to deny Richarlison late on, ensuring there would be no repeat of recent late drama in previous matches.
The victory was sealed in the closing stages. Gyökeres held off Gray before finishing clinically, capping a standout display and securing a vital three points.
The result marked only Arsenal’s third win in their last eight league matches, but it restored a five-point cushion over Manchester City in the title race, albeit having played one game more. For Tottenham, it was a third consecutive defeat, leaving them just four points above the relegation zone after failing to take advantage of Nottingham Forest losing late to Liverpool earlier in the day.
As the title race intensifies, Arsenal have shown resilience and attacking quality at the perfect time. For Spurs, the pressure continues to mount as they look to halt a worrying slide and avoid being dragged deeper into trouble.
