Report: Arsenal 3-1 Sp*rs (inc goals)

Arsenal: Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, Gabriel, White, Tierney, Partey, Xhaka, Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe, Aubameyang.

Subs: Leno, Holding, Cedric, Tavares, Lokonga, Maitland-Niles, Martinelli, Pepe, Lacazette

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Goals from Emile Smith Rowe, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bukayo Saka gave Arsenal a 3-1 against Sp*rs at the Emirates this afternoon.

Mikel Arteta made one change from the team that beat Burnley last weekend, bringing Granit Xhaka back after his suspension, with Nicolas Pepe dropping to the bench.

The visitors set out their stall early, sitting with 11 men behind the ball wben Arsenal had possession, and Aubameyang had the Gunners first attempt on goal, forcing a save from Lloris at his near post.

It was a bright start from the men in red, and the reward was a 12th minute goal to go ahead. Arsenal worked it forward, Odegaard played it out to Saka on the corner of the box. He drove inside, put in a low cross and Smith Rowe arrived to slide the ball home from close range. 1-0.

Partey was next to have a pop, drawing a good save from Lloris after interplay between Odegaard and Saka, before Aubameyang fired a fizzing shot over from just outside the box.

Sp*rs first chance came from Son, firing a shot at the near post which Ramsdale tipped behind, after which Kane tried his luck from 35 yards but fired it a long way over the bar. It was a promising period for them, but in the 27th minute the lead was doubled.

The goal began with Ramsdale playing a risky pass to Xhaka, but the midfielder did well to keep it and set a counter attack going. Smith Rowe was released down the left, he squared it for Aubameyang and the skipper placed the ball into the bottom corner. 2-0.

It got even better in the 33rd minute when Kane fell over, inadvertently sparking an Arsenal break. Arsenal broke down the right, Saka took it on, looked to play a pass which didn’t come off, but the ball broke to him again, he took it on and put it past Lloris from close range. 3-0.

At the other end, Kane headed wide from a corner, but the Sp*rs threat was basically non-existent, and we took the 3-0 lead into the break.

There were changes by the visitors at the break with two twats going off and another couple of twats coming on, but they still had 11 twats on the pitch.

Partey had Arsenal’s first effort at goal, firing wide from distance, his first goal in red and white still eluding him. There were shouts for an Arsenal penalty when Sanchez appeared to bundle Gabriel over, but nothing came of it, and there was danger at the other end when White appeared to foul Kane, but the ref played on and VAR stayed out of it.

The Gunners sat off, protecting the lead and looking to break, and Ramsdale got a strong hand on a Kane shot which required Tomiyasu to mop up. Kane then put it just wide, after a long ball caught Arsenal out, although there was a suspicion of offside in the build-up.

Substitute Skipp picked up a yellow card for a foul on Partey, they made another change bringing on another twat for some twat, and by the 72nd minute, the second half had been far less going on than the first (this is not a complaint).

Saka had a go at extending the lead, shooting from outside the box, but Lloris turned it behind for a corner. Saka and Xhaka went down with cramp, but continued after treatment, and there was a goal for the visitors through Son. 3-1.

In the build-up though, a Thomas Partey challenge sent Lucas Moura clattering into Xhaka whose knee appeared to buckle, and after some treatment he was replaced by Albert Sambi Lokonga. Tierney had a shot which flew well wide, and Arteta made his final changes, Ainsley Maitland-Niles coming on for Saka and Nuno Tavares replacing Smith Rowe in the 87th minute.

Ramsdale made a fingertip save from Moura, tipping the ball onto the bar in the second of five added minutes, but in the end their historic inferiority was reinforced by the mighty reds!

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