Report: Sp*rs 1-2 Arsenal (inc. goals)

Arsenal: Ospina, Debuchy, Mertesacker, Chambers, Gibbs, Arteta, Flamini, Ramsey, Campbell, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Giroud

Subs: Macey, Monreal, Walcott, Ozil, Alexis, Bellerin, Iwobi

Mathieu Flamini was Arsenal’s unexpected hero at White Hart Lane as Arsenal beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 to secure derby day bragging rights and safe passage to the 4^th round of the Capital One Cup.

The French midfielder pounced on a Vorm mistake to put the Gunners ahead in the first half and then hammered home a fine volley with 12 minutes remaining to ensure Calum Chambers own goal on 56 minutes didn’t prove costly.

Pre-game

After defeats to Dinamo Zagreb and Chelsea nobody was really sure who Arsene Wenger would select for our first trip of the season to White Hart Lane. “There are no fringe players [here], there is only a first-team squad,” he’d said earlier in the week. In the end, he again rang the changes.

Youngsters Matt Macey and Alex Iwobi aside, all the faces were familiar even if some had played less regularly than others this season. Per Mertesacker – out for most of a month with a virus – returned to the starting XI alongside Calum Chambers with Mathieu Debuchy and Kieran Gibbs flanking them.

In midfield Mathieu Flamini made his first start of the season with Mikel Arteta and Aaron Ramsey also in the centre of the park. Up front Joel Campbell and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain provided the pace outside Olivier Giroud. As was the case in Croatia Ospina – ensconced in his role as cup keeper – came in for Cech.

First half

It’s fair to say that for a North London derby this was a game that struggled to get going. Indeed, it took a full 12 minutes before anything of note actually happened.

A great ball by Ramsey split the Spurs defence allowing Gibbs space to deliver a ball across the six-yard box towards Giroud. The Frenchman had made the right run across the near post but he couldn’t connect properly and instead saw his mishit shot spin towards Campbell who could only head over.

Players on both sides looked cumbersome and aside from a million throw-ins and Arteta infuriatingly hitting the first man from every set piece naff all happened.

Then, out of nothing we took the lead, Arsenal stole the lead. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who up to this point had been anonymous, nicked the ball past Dier 25-yards from goal and decided to have a pop. Vorm saved the fizzing effort but he could only parry it to Flamini, who having pre-empted a fumble, hammered home from a yard out. (1-0)

Going a goal down spurred the home side to life and it was Danny Rose who twice came close. First the left back cut on to his right and squirmed a shot just past Ospina’s near post, then he beat Debuchy to a bouncing ball and honed in on goal before our Colombian keeper took him out. There was a half-hearted call for a penalty but it was waved away by referee Andre Mariner.

The bash brothers – Arteta and Flamini – both picked up bookings, Campbell took a nasty tumble over the advertising hoardings and Chamberlain curled agonisingly wide after a powerful run.

At the other end Rose had Debuchy’s number every time and the Frenchman unsurprisingly ended up in the book for a clumsy tackle on the edge of the box. Nothing came of the resulting free-kick but we were certainly hanging on in the closing stages of the first half as Kane screwed wide on the break.

Second half

Spurs thought they had an equaliser just three minutes into the second period of the only for the linesman to correctly rule Kane’s smart finish offside. The England striker had pounced from close range after Eriksen’s shot had been parried on to the post by Ospina.

As it turned out the home side didn’t have to wait too long for a goal and, not for the first time this season, Arsenal gave a helping hand to their opponent. Debuchy’s positioning was all over the place (as it had been all game) as a pass was floated over the Arsenal defence and when Chadli nipped in off the left his cross was clumsily sliced into his own net by Chambers. (1-1)

If it wasn’t for a Kieran Gibbs headed clearance off the line the Gunners would have been 2-1 down on 65 minutes. Kane’s flying volley from a Townsend corner was destined for the net before out left back got in the way with Ospina stranded.

Campbell’s evening came to an end moments later with Wenger throwing Alexis Sanchez into the fray. After a Ramsey shot, the Chilean came off the right and had a go of his own, then Giroud forced Vorm into a decent save in a spell of pressure that contrasted hugely with the meek ten minutes before.

The push paid off and astonishingly it was Flamini who came to the fore. He’s not exactly known for his goals is the Frenchman, so when the ball drops out of the sky 20-yards from goal you don’t expect him to hammer home a volley with all the grace of Dennis Bergkamp. It was a strike as amazing as it was unexpected on a night the defensive midfielder will never forget. The travelling Gooners went absolutely ballistic, bastardising as many chants as possible in tribute to the 31-year-old. (2-1)

As Spurs chased the game again Arsenal were happy to soak up pressure and hit on the break. Chamberlain and Debuchy hit efforts from range, sub Dele Alli – earlier booked for a foul on the BFG – did similar for the home side. In truth, we looked quite comfortable as a silenced White Hart Lane came to terms with what had just happened. In stoppage time Theo Walcott, on for the Ox, should have added a gloss to the result but with the goal beckoning could only zip a shot wide. Thankfully, it wasn’t to matter.