Football News

IF THIS WAS the toughest test of Arsenal's title credentials, needing to win away in the white hot atmosphere of a north London derby, Mikel Arteta's men came through, albeit by the skin of their teeth rather than with flying colours.

What should have been a formality once Arsenal raced into three-goal lead before half-time became a nail-biting affair for their fans, as Spurs belatedly showed their teeth after the break, and set Arteta's nerves jangling, as Arteta admitted afterwards. “I was praying,” he said with a smile after his men held on, passing another test of character that was in contrast to their capitulation this time last year.

Arsenal, remember, went into April eight points clear of Manchester City, but won only three of their final nine games and ended up five points adrift of the champions.

This time they are still in front as we head into May, but the men from Manchester have a game in hand and Arsenal will probably need to win their remaining matches to stay in with a shout. This one was highlighted as a potential problem, given Tottenham's own ambitions of finishing in the Champions League places, and though the vistors went home with all three points, it was far from straightforward.

Much had been made before kickoff about Ange Postecoglou following in Arteta's footsteps in the way he is trying to revive a sleeping north London giant, but the way Arsenal took Tottenham apart in the first 45 minutes showed the size of his job.

Clinical in attack, solid in defence and with confidence restored after recent blips against Bayern Munich and Aston Villa, the Gunners did a job on Spurs in the most emphatic way. The half-time score of 3-0 might have suggested one-way traffic along the north end of Seven

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