Tottenham Hotpsur ran out 2-0 winners in the North London derby against Arsenal at the White Hart Lane on Sunday to keep pace with Chelsea at the top of the table, reducing the lead at the top to four points.
In front of a partisan home crowd, it was Spurs who were the pace-setters from the onset. Harry Kane was a menacing presence in the opposition box throughout and Arsenal defenders Laurent Koscielny and Gabriel struggled to keep him quiet.
The first clear-cut chance in the game fell to Christian Eriksen, who shot over the bar from close range with his left foot. Arsenal’s attack were unable to pose a threat in the second half too, and the home side took the lead in the 55th minute through Dele Alli. The midfielder pounced a rebound after goalkeeper Petr Cech had saved Eriksen’s shot.
Barely two minutes later, the referee pointed to the penalty spot after Gabriel tripped Kane at the edge of the area. The 23-year-old striker made no mistake, drilling the ball low into the left corner of the net and leaving Cech rooted to the spot.
Kane could have had another but a poor first-touch let him down after Victor Wanyama set him up with an excellent pass from the left wing. The loss twisted the knife on Arsenal’s top-four hopes and are now five points behind Manchester United, who are at fifth in the table. Mauricio Pochettino’s side have now won nine straight league games, a feat that was last achieved by the club in 1960.
For the first time in two decades, Spurs are assured of a finish above their cross-town rivals.
Brief score:
- Tottenham Hotspur 2 (Dele Alli, Harry Kane) beat Arsenal 0