Arsenal emerged victorious from the 196th edition of the North London derby at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the third year in a row.

Mikel Arteta brought Jorginho into midfield as Declan Rice served a suspension, while Leandro Trossard started further back to replace the injured Martin Ødegaard. Arsenal defended in a 4-4-2 formation with Kai Havertz and Trossard up front, forming a central block of Bukayo Saka, Thomas Partey, Jorginho and Gabriel Martinelli.

Ange Postecoglou prepared his team to take advantage of Arsenal’s absence. Spurs dominated possession early on, giving Arsenal no breathing room. Tottenham had a couple of opportunities to score first in the first half, but some crucial saves and tackles from David Raya, William Saliba and Jurrien Timber kept the score level.

Arsenal’s big moment of the first half came when Martinelli ran free towards goal. Instead of passing the ball to Bukayo Saka, Martinelli shot at goal, but goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario easily saved the shot.

The tension in the derby reached a boiling point in the 36th minute when Jurrien Timber fouled Pedro Porro. Referee Jarred Gillett cautioned both Timber and Vicario for the foul and collision.

A total of seven yellow cards in the first 45 minutes led to a tense second half, with both teams unable to find their rhythm after the tunnel. Arsenal finally got their first goal in the 65th minute, scoring from a Gabriel set piece. The Gunners’ defence stood firm for the rest of the game and secured the win. The defeat marks Tottenham’s worst start in the Premier League in nine years, with Postecoglou still hoping for his first derby win.

Next weekend, Arsenal face another difficult Premier League task as they travel to face the team they have tried to outdo over the past two seasons: Manchester City.

Starters

Goalkeeper: David Raya – 7/10 – The reigning Golden Glove winner controlled his penalty area well and made some brilliant saves early on.

LB: Jurrien Timber – 8/10 (Man of the Match) – Survived a yellow card in the first half and played dynamically up and down the left flank.

IV: Gabriel – 7/10 – Scored the first goal with a brilliant header from a corner in the 65th minute. Arsenal’s best attacking weapon at corners continues to deliver good results.

Centre-back: William Saliba – 7/10 – He prevented an early Spurs goal with some tough tackles, but received a stupid yellow card early in the first half for delaying the restart.

RB: Benjamin White – 5/10 – At times sloppy in possession, but again did not concede a goal away from home.

CM: Thomas Partey – 5/10 – Was sloppy with the ball at times and struggled to break through Tottenham’s midfield.

CM: Jorginho – 5/10 – Yellow card in the second half because of a lack of pace in the decisive moments.

CM: Leandro Trossard – 6/10 – Made a few passes in the first half that deserved a good final result. Wasn’t as influential as Ødegaard usually is but remains an important part of Arsenal’s team. Substituted for Raheem Sterling in the 80th minute.

Left-hander: Gabriel Martinelli – 6/10 – Worked hard. Arteta will be frustrated that he didn’t cross the ball in the first half. Substituted for Gabriel Jesus in the 80th minute.

ST: Kai Havertz – 6/10 – Kept the ball high at times in and out of play.

RW: Bukayo Saka – 6/10 – Struggled early on as he was double-marked by Son Heung-min and Destiny Udogie. Played in the corner to set up Gabriel’s opener. Substituted in the 86th minute.

Substitute

Raheem Sterling – 5/10 – Made his debut for Arsenal in the 80th minute but didn’t have much time to establish himself.

Gabriel Jesus – 5/10 – Same case as Sterling, not enough time to have a real impact on the game.

Ethan Nwaneri – 5/10 – Came on for Bukayo Saka in the final moments of the game and had some time on the ball.

manager

Mikel Arteta – 8/10 – He prepared his team to make up for the deficits caused by injuries and a suspension. Could have made a substitution earlier to create variety, but overall he can be happy with the result given the circumstances before the derby.