The little bit late match report Arsenal – Tottenham 2-0

By Walter Broeckx

Team at the start Cech – Koscielny – Mustafi – Monreal – Bellerin – Kolasinac – Xhaka – Ramsey – Özil – Alexis – Lacazette

A firt shot at goal from Arsenal when Alexis intercepted a ball high up the Tottenham half and he gave it to Lacazette. Lacacazette tried to create some room for shot with his right foot but he blasted it over.  A minute later Kane had a shot but he

Dean then stopped Özil when Vertonghen dived when he lost the ball at the edge of his own penalty area and Özil would have been away with Lacazette completely unmarked at the far post. Was that an error that the Tottenham coach pointed at? That surely will have been the first error of two he mentioned.

Arsenal with an attack going from right to left but the final cross from Kolasinac couldn’t be converted by Lacazette. A tottenham defender just with a toe between a pass to Lacazette not even a minute later.  Kane not given offside when he looked well offside but luckily he couldn’t do anything with the ball. Arsenal on top in the first 15 minutes.

Ramsey with a long ball to Lacazette but Lloris first on the ball. Ramsey then to Bellerin but Lacazette with two tottenham defenders on his back couldn’t stick his foot against the inviting cross that was waiting to be put over the line. Lacazette almost at the end of a backpass but Lloris first on the ball. Bellerin with a good combination with Özil but his cross was diverted for a corner in front of Ramsey who was waiting to tap the ball over the line. Half an hour played and Arsenal really having the best chances of the match.  Xhaka gets a yellow card for his second foul. Ref had warned him for the first so no problem for me.

Eriksen had a low shot after the free kick that shaved the outside of the post. The first real chance for tottenham and a bit later Cech had to stop a header from Kane. Sanchez with some pulling on Alexis and Dean gave a free kick. Özil with the free kick to Mustafi and his header loops over Lloris in the net. GOAL!!!! ! 1-0 to The Arsenal after 36 minutes.  The microscopes come out in the TV studio’s to prove Mustafi was offside. To be honest they didn’t have to come out for the 3rd City goal 14 days ago as that was blatant offside. This was not visible with the naked eye and so the assistant was right to let it go.  Give advantage to the attacker.

Alexis with a tackle earning him a yellow card. Dean with a few unlucky interventions stopping Arsenal or not giving a foul for Arsenal. Bellerin finds Lacazette on the right hand side level with the last defender apart from his arm and his cross finds Alexis in the middle who controls it with both legs and then fires it over the line. GOAL!!! 2-0 to The Arsenal after 42 minutes.

The arm of Lacazette might have been offside but this is of no importance as it doesn’t count for being offside.  Özil not for the first time with some impressive defending in his own half. The assistant flagging Arsenal players offside when they were clearly offside in the first half but not when it wasn’t visible with the naked eye.  Arsenal go in at the break with a well deserved 2-0 lead. TV pundits hoping for a repeat of our previous 2-3 defeat when we went in 2-0 at the interval.

Mustafi plays the ball but Dean gives him a yellow card for his non foul. Was that the second error the tottenham coach mentioned? Kane then going in from behind on Xhaka with a flying tackle and Dean gives him a yellow card.  Could have been more than this colour. Bellerin to Lacazette who went down outside the penalty area but no foul says Dean. Sissoko was surely leaning all over the Frenchman.

A nice counter over Özil to Alexis but his pass is over hit and  the chance goes away. Kane goes down in the Arsenal penalty area but even Dean is not impressed. Ramsey then slips and Kane gets a shooting chance but Koscielny with a great block out for a corner. Dean gives a throw in to tottenham but he has to chance his decision as the assistant rightfully said it was an Arsenal throw in. Was that an error for the tottenham manager? Ramsey slipping for the second time, he could do with longer studs I think. Tottenham with some pressure but no real goal chances so Arsenal still 2-0 in front after 60 minutes.

Ramsey changing his boots in fact when Tottenham make a substitution. Eriksen with a shot from distance but far over the goal. Meanwhile Mustafi with an impressive defensive display together with Monreal and Koscielny. Özil with a ball but both Lacazette and Alexis thought the other was gong for the ball and a tottenham defender could run away with it. That was a good promising attack leading to nothing.

A bit later Alexis with a shot but it kept on rising over the crossbar. Özil to Alexis but he scuffed his shot and it hobbled in the arms of Lloris. Monreal with a late tackle earning him a yellow card. Coquelin comes on for Lacazette after 72 minutes. Özil and Alexis both leading the attack now.  Kane goes off and his run against Arsenal comes to an end. As all runs do in the end. Still 2-0 after 75 minutes.

Alexis dribbles around a defender and with only LLoris to beat has a shot but the keeper comes out as the winner. The 3rd Arsenal goal looking more likely compared to the more sterile pressure from tottenham. Bellerin then gets a dirty kick from Llorente on his Achilles but Dean missed it completely. Should have been a red card. Maybe that was one of the errors the Tottenham coach mentioned? Studs on the Achilles from behind….real dirty. Dier with a header but Cech with a good and comfortable save.  Özil with a counter to Bellerin but his shot is blocked by a defender. That was Özil his last contribution as Iwobi comes on in his splace after 84 minutes.  Son with a shot but he misses the target completely.

Arsenal with a good counter but both Alexis and Iwobi cant finish the attack and tottenham can block the efforts. Özil with a big smile on the bench sharing a joke with someone.  Meanwhile the last minute of the match comes near and Xhaka takes a free kick that looks to take a deflection but no corner given. The Arsenal defenders clearing every ball that comes to them. Alexis away but when passing the last defender in the penalty area he doesn’t go down like some City players do but then only can shoot straight at Lloris. Iwobi with another shot but it goes a wide.  Tottenham with a late deflected shot that goes over.

Arsenal win 2-0 in what is the most important match at the Emirates each season. And that was nothing less than we deserved.

Arsenal v Tottenham – the whole story

• Arsenal 2 Tottenham Hotspur 0. Even the tiny details of commentary can be misleading
• Arsenal v Tottenham: The teams, and the need to kill off under performing players
• Arsenal v Tottenham: the tragedy of a journalist’s pathetic lack of knowledge
• Arsenal v Tottenham Saturday 18 November 2017 – The Match Officials
• Arsenal v Tottenham: return of the triumvirate, the battle of the midfield.
• Arsenal v Tottenham. Objectivity and perspective, not quite the same thing
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