Emile Smith-Rowe and Bukayo Saka both had a goal and an assist as Arsenal rode a three-goal first half past a sad Tottenham Hotspur in a 3-1 North London derby win on Sunday.
The Gunners scored thrice in 22 minutes to open up a healthy lead and Spurs barely registered anything above disinterest in the first 60 minutes.
WATCH ARSENAL vs TOTTENHAM FULL MATCH REPLAY STREAM
Heung-min Son scored late to give Spurs a brief amount of hope, but Tottenham stumbles -- scratch that, falls right on its face -- in a third-straight loss with three goals conceded.
Both teams now have nine points with three wins and three losses, but the margin of victory moves Arsenal into 10th compared to Spurs’ 11th.
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Arsenal vs Tottenham final score, stats
Final score: Arsenal 3, Tottenham 1
Scorers: Smith-Rowe (12'), Aubameyang (27'), Saka (34'), Son (79')
Shots: Arsenal, 12-10
Shots on goal: Arsenal 7-4
Possession: Tottenham, 53%
Three things we learned from Arsenal vs Tottenham
1. Arsenal keeps moving up, Spurs down: The Gunners’ determined performance was bright, too, and Arsenal is the only team in the Premier League boasting an active three-match win streak. On the flip side, only Norwich City joins Tottenham in having lost three in-a-row, all while allowing three goas. Harry Kane looks a shell of himself and Eric Dier doesn’t resemble a starting caliber PL center back, while Emile Smith-Rowe, Martin Odegaard, and Bukayo Saka oozed class at times in this decisive win.
2. Nuno will be furious: It’s not so much that Arsenal lost the derby or even that it was 3-0 within 34 minutes, it’s that the Gunners simply did whatever they wanted in a match that not only proffered better table position than their North London derby rival but the chance to kickstart the season. Remember: Nuno Espirito Santo’s Wolves beat Arsenal 2-1 home and away last season. He’s got the acumen here, though starting Dier and Davinson Sanchez over Cristian Romero is a question for the Portuguese boss.
3. Partey is a difference maker: We can’t count on Thomas Partey staying healthy for long but Mikel Arteta and the Gunners should celebrate every moment he’s available because the Ghanaian is a wonder worker for Arsenal. Partey read the game well while showing bite and a terrific range of passing in a 3-0 derby win.
Man of the Match: Bukayo Saka
Emile Smith-Rowe had almost as many key passes (two) as misplaced ones (88% passing), and that includes three-from-three long balls. Two drawn fouls add to his goal and assist in drawing up his day.
Somehow that lagged behind Saka, who was relentless with three key passes, two fouls drawn, three tackles, an interception and a clearance.
North London derby recap
Arsenal was swarming the visitors within moments of kickoff, and it felt like not if but when would the Gunners best Hugo Lloris.
Smith-Rowe struck first with a well-worked team goal that saw the young English attack spin a low cutback past a diving Lloris.
Aubameyang had it 2-0 on another goal that showed a real lack of awareness from the Tottenham back line.
The third was courtesy Saka and off of a Kane giveaway, the center forward’s sliding bid to make amends for his error leaving Saka clean on goal for another low finish.
Arsenal might’ve had two or three more and Tottenham should’ve felt relief to get to halftime with the deficit at three.
But the answers off the bench did not arrive apart from Son’s close-range finish to make it 3-1.
