3 Key Talking Points From Tottenham 2-1 Arsenal: The Gunners Fail To Park The Bus Properly

Tottenham vs Arsenal – The North London Derby

Tottenham beat their North London rivals 2-1 to move into fifth place, just two points behind Southampton in third. Victory at White Hart Lane on Saturday was Spurs’ third-straight win at home, where they are finally starting to find some form. Mesut Ozil gave the Gunners the lead early in the first half with a sublime left-footed volley.

Although the home side dominated the possession, they struggled to create too many clear cut chances in the first half and it looked as though their impressive run of six home games unbeaten was going come to an end. But Harry Kane score twice in the second half to give Mauricio Pochettino’s side their second home win over Arsenal in the last three seasons. Defeat also ended Arsenal’s impressive run of three-straight clean sheets as the Gunners moved below their rivals into sixth place.

Here are the major talking points from the game.

1. Kane to the rescue for Spurs

Mauricio Pochettino is someone who demands a 110 % from all of his players from the first minute to the last. Although there was some difference of opinion at the start, Harry Kane is the one player in the Spurs squad who is the embodiment of everything the Argentinean manager wants from his players. High-intensity, pressure from the front and a willingness to run into the ground for the sake of the team.

Not only can he do all of that, Kane can also finish. His two goals against the Gunners, although contrasting in nature, was a clear reminder of just good he is, in the box. The 21-year-old’s first goal showed the type of movement and quick reaction that is only found in world-class poachers and his second was an old-school header which involved plenty of technique and class. Spurs have long been searching for a finisher and have spent tons of money in the pursuit of a striker who is clinical. The irony for the North London club is that, after all of that searching, they might have finally stumbled upon what they needed, in their own backyard.

2. Spurs leave it late… again

Amidst all the adulations and praise that Sir Alex Ferguson received, when finally decided to call it a day, for his trophy haul, one thing is evidently forgotten. Although Manchester United had won plenty of trophies, his enduring legacy will be his side’s resilience and powers of escapology. The art of scoring late goals is something that is often dismissed as luck, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

One of the reasons why Spurs are now in fifth place, level on points with the Red Devils in fourth has been their ability to score late goals and win games at the death. Pochettino’s side have won the most points this season from goals scored after the 86th minute and they did so again, against their North London rivals. Although it is often down to impetus, scoring late goals not only required supreme fitness, which Spurs boast of, but also incredible patience and belief in your own ability. This season, Pochettino has managed to transform a side that was known for having a soft underbelly into one, that boasts of the resilience to come from behind and win games with frightening regularity. While the hosts certainly deserved the win against the Gunners, if they can keep up their late, late show, they will win games they don’t deserve to and might just pip their rivals to fourth place.

3. Arsenal fail to park the bus properly

When Arsenal stunned Manchester City 2-0 at the Etihad with a defensive master class, many thought that Arsene Wenger has finally turned a corner. It looked as though Arsenal had finally found a way to stop being battered in the big games. Although their approach, which consisted of sitting deep and hitting on the break, wasn’t revolutionary, it was something that many thought the Gunners were incapable of doing. After all, parking the bus isn’t the Arsene way. Against Spurs, in a must-win North London derby, the Frenchman tried the same tactics but this time failed.

Why? Although the Gunners sat deep, it wasn’t by design. For long stretches of the game, Spurs simply imposed their will on the game and didn’t let the visitors get out of their own half. And while Francis Coquelin, the architect of the win over City continued his good performance, his supporting cast weren’t on the same page. Koscielny & co had an average outing at the lane. Although City enjoyed plenty of possession at the Etihad, they didn’t have too many clear cut chances to score and were restricted to pot-shots from distance. But at White Hart Lane, it was a combination of some wayward finishing and some brilliant goalkeeping that ensured that the home side didn’t score until the 56th minute. The result shows the thin line between success and failure when absorbing pressure and playing on the counter. To succeed, not only do you have to defend well, but you must also attack with purpose, on Saturday, the Gunners simply didn’t do either and as a result meekly surrendered.