Arsenal claimed yet another derby win after a tussle with long suffering Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. Once again the Gunners proved which club dominates the football landscape in North London, but this time Tottenham provided a stern test.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will no doubt be delighted that his charges withstood spells of severe pressure but still saw out the 1-0 win. It was certainly not the typical Arsenal win, but again the players proved that this team can mix it up and also has a good mental attitude. Whether that will be enough to win the league is another matter, although the club once again moves into the thick of the title race, sitting four points behind leaders Chelsea with a game in hand.
The ultimately decisive goal took just 72 seconds to arrive when Wenger´s decision to restore Thomas Rosicky to the starting lineup paid off. The Czech international has recently signed a new contract with the club and celebrated with the winning goal against arch rivals Spurs. Rosicky was the architect of his goal as he burst into the Spurs half and played a one two with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Finding himself on the corner of the area Rosicky fired a pinpoint shot past the flailing Hugo Lloris to give the Gunners a 1-0 lead.
That lead would prove the difference after 90 minutes, but in the meantime Tottenham put Arsenal under pressure throughout, and on the face of it should have had more from the game. The home team had 17 shots but could only get 2 on target in a frustrating afternoon for Tim Sherwood´s men.
Tottenham´s command of the game hardly mattered to Arsenal as the team put in a fine defensive display that was epitomized by Laurent Koscielny in the heart of the defense. Despite huffing and puffing, Spurs never looked like blowing the Arsenal house down, and the Gunners left with three points and a Premier League challenge back on.