Tottenham Outplayed as Arsenal’s Revival Continues With Gyokeres and Eze Running the Show
Tottenham Outplayed as Arsenal’s Revival Continues With Gyokeres and Eze Running the Show
Radu Drăgușin was thrown straight into the action early on, operating in the heart of a reshuffled defensive trio, and he was quickly called upon to rescue his side. Within the opening minutes, the Romanian centre-back produced two vital interventions — first blocking a powerful header from Viktor Gyökeres and then throwing himself in front of a long-range drive from Leandro Trossard. The tempo of the match was briefly interrupted soon after when a technical failure in the officials’ communication system caused a seven-minute delay, momentarily breaking the rhythm just as both teams were settling.
Once play restarted, Arsenal began to assert themselves and looked the more dangerous attacking force. William Saliba should really have given them the lead when he met a close-range cross with a free header from six yards, but he directed his effort wide when hitting the target seemed easier. That miss did not prove costly for long, though, as the breakthrough soon arrived — and it came courtesy of Eberechi Eze.
Restored to his natural right flank, Bukayo Saka burst past Pape Matar Sarr and reached the byline before cutting the ball back into the danger area. Eze’s initial touch popped the ball awkwardly into the air, but his reaction was outstanding: he adjusted his body and lashed a waist-high volley beyond Guglielmo Vicario from close range. The travelling supporters erupted, celebrating what they believed might be a decisive step toward maintaining their side’s cushion at the top.
However, the advantage lasted barely two minutes. Tottenham Hotspur struck back almost immediately after Declan Rice, otherwise one of Arsenal’s standout performers, was dispossessed just outside his own box by Randal Kolo Muani. The powerful striker — who had flourished previously under Igor Tudor at Juventus — surged forward, shrugged off a defender, and fired a low finish past David Raya to level the score. Spurs suddenly found their confidence, and for the remainder of the half they played with an intensity and attacking purpose that has been all too rare for them this season.
After the interval, the hosts threatened again, coming close when Xavi Simons cut inside from the left and unleashed a curling effort that forced Raya into a full-stretch save. Yet it was Arsenal who regained control of the contest. Tottenham’s defence switched off on the edge of the area, allowing Gyökeres too much space to receive a low cross. With time to steady himself, he turned and bent a superb 18-yard strike beyond Vicario to restore the visitors’ lead.
From that point, the momentum shifted decisively. Unlike recent away fixtures at Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers, Arsenal never looked likely to surrender their advantage. Vicario had to stay alert, rushing out to smother at Saka’s feet late in the first half and repeating the trick shortly after the hour. On the second occasion, though, the rebound fell perfectly for Eze, who calmly slammed the loose ball into an empty net to continue his remarkable scoring run against Spurs — seven goals in his last three appearances against them.
With time running out, Tottenham’s coach rolled the dice, introducing the not-fully-fit attacking pair of Dominic Solanke and Richarlison in a desperate attempt to claw their way back. Richarlison nearly made an instant impact, producing an inventive back-heeled flick that forced Raya into a sharp goal-line stop. Still, the visitors remained the more threatening side overall. Trossard tried his luck from distance, Vicario scrambled another save when Saka burst through again, and deep into stoppage time Gyökeres capped an outstanding personal display by scoring his second of the night to seal victory.
Player Ratings
Tottenham: Vicario 7; João Palhinha 5 (subbed for Mathys Tel 82), Drăgușin 6, Micky van de Ven 6; Archie Gray 6, Yves Bissouma 5, Conor Gallagher 5 (Solanke 62), Djed Spence 6; Sarr 6, Simons 6; Kolo Muani 7 (Richarlison 68).
Arsenal: Raya 7; Jurriën Timber 6 (Mosquera 57), Saliba 7, Gabriel 7, Pervis Hincapié 6; Martín Zubimendi 6, Rice 7; Saka 7, Eze 7 (Martin Ødegaard 76), Trossard 6 (Gabriel Martinelli 76); Gyökeres 8.