No new manager bounce for Igor Tudor, but there was a real spring in Arsenal’s step as they rebounded from two disappointing draws to win at the home of their deadly rivals Tottenham and reassert their five-point lead at the top of the table.
Eberechi Eze – who else – scored twice, as did man-of-the-match Viktor Gyokeres, as the Gunners blew struggling Tottenham away once again, by the same score as in the reverse fixture last November.
Tudor, in his first game since taking over from the sacked Thomas Frank, saw his former Juventus charge Randall Kolo Muani give Spurs some cause for optimism with a 34th-minute equaliser, but the Croatian is discovering the harsh reality of life at Tottenham, who were again without 12 players through injury and suspension.
But for Mikel Arteta’s men, this was the perfect riposte to those doubters who believed cracks were starting to show again in a team that has fallen short in the past three seasons.
Arteta punched the air at the final whistle and was all smiles afterwards, as his players celebrated with their joyous supporters, who love nothing more than beating the old enemy.
Manchester City’s win over Newcastle on Saturday night had narrowed the gap at the top of the table, but Arsenal are back to five points ahead, albeit having played one game more.
This title race is far from over.
The noise and atmosphere pre-match was cranked up, not least by a huge tifo covering most of the South Stand, proclaiming Tottenham as the original north London club since 1882, some 30 or so years before Arsenal moved in from south London.
The opening stages were somewhat cagey, not surprisingly given what was at stake for both sides – for Arsenal a chance to increase their lead at the top, for Tottenham a chance to move away from the relegation zone.
Radu Dragusin, playing in the centre of a makeshift back three, had to make two blocks in the opening stages to keep out a header from Gyokeres and a long shot from Leandro Trossard, before play was disrupted for seven minutes by a breakdown in the officials’ communications equipment.
When play resumed, Arsenal looked most likely to score first. William Saliba should have hit the target rather than head wide from six yards, but the opening goal was not long in coming, and of course it came from Eze. Bukayo Saka, restored to the right wing, beat Pape Mata Sarr to the byline for a cutback. Eze’s first touch was poor, the ball looping up in the air, but his second was sublime, a waist-high volley past Guglielmo Vicario from ten yards.
Arsenal’s travelling supporters burst into life, as they celebrated their lead over City returning to a five-point cushion, but two minutes later it was back to reality as Tottenham equalised. Declan Rice, arguably Arsenal’s best player, was at fault, getting caught in possession just outside his own penalty area by Randall Kolo Muani. The big Frenchman, who had thrived under Tudor at Juventus last season, drove into the box, held off a challenge and drilled a low shot past David Raya.
Now it was Tottenham’s turn to celebrate, and for the rest of the half, the home side played with confidence and energy, something seen far too rarely this season.
And after the break, they went close again when Xavi Simons cut in from the left to fire a shot that Raya did well to save at full stretch. But it was Arsenal who took the lead, as Tottenham’s defence left Gyokeres far too much space on the edge of the penalty area, so that when he received a low cross from the right, he had time to control the ball, turn and curl a stunning shot past Vicario from 18 yards. Now Arsenal’s tails were up, and unlike in recent games at Brentford and Wolves, they never looked like relinquishing their lead.
Vicario had to be sharp to make a smothering save at Saka’s feet, as he had done at the end of the first half, and did so again when the winger was put through just after the hour mark. The loose ball fell kindly for Eze, who had the simple job of smacking it into an unguarded net. It was his seventh goal in his past three games against Spurs.
Tudor went for broke, sending on half-fit strikers Dominic Solanke and Richarlison in a bid to reduce the deficit, and Raya had to make a sharp goal-line save to keep out the Brazilian’s back-heeled attempt at goal.
But Arteta’s team always looked more likely to score. Trossard went close with a long shot, Vicario scrambled another save when Saka threatened, and Gyokeres deservedly got his second goal in stoppage time to cap his best game yet in an Arsenal shirt.
 Vicario 7; Palhinha 5 (Tel 82), Dragusin 6, Van de Ven 6; Gray 6, Bissouma 5, Gallagher 5 (Solanke 62), Spence 6; Sarr 6, Simons 6; Kolo Muani 7 (Richarlison 68).
 Raya 7; Timber 6 (Mosquera 57), Saliba 7, Gabriel 7, Hincapie 6; Zubimendi 6, Rice 7; Saka 7, Eze 7 (Odegaard 76), Trossard 6 (Martinelli 76); Gyokeres 8
