Arsenal made the trip to Wembley to face off against Tottenham in the top flight of English football, with the two competing in the first game of the weekend. It was yet another edition of the north London derby and the two sides were hoping to take back all three points from the match, which would be crucial to ensure a top four finish.
The game saw a couple of goals, with both teams neutralizing each other and it ending in a 1-1 draw. Aaron Ramsey scored the first goal of the game to give his side the lead in the first half. However, it was cancelled out by a second half Harry Kane penalty goal, after Mustafi brought him down in the box, though replays showed him to be offside.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had the chance to score for the Gunners as a sub when he was brought down by Sanchez. However, his poor penalty was easily saved by Lloris, with Vertonghen blocking the return shot. Towards the very end Lucas Torreira was sent off for a strong challenge on Danny Rose and the Gunners finished the game with 10 men. It eventually ended at 1-1, with the gap between the two sides now four points.
Here are the talking points of the game-
Unai Emery’s Strange Player Selection Worked
Even though most of the fans were not happy with the squad selection, it was quite clear that Emery had things sorted out and the team played well, according to the tactics that he had planned out for them. The players responded well and though it ended up being a draw, it was an organized performance.
Mustafi Is A Joke
It was a horrific performance for the World Cup winner, who was playing as a right-back. He had played as an RB during his days at Valencia and this was bringing back memories of that. However, his performance was pathetic and he was clueless as to what he was doing. He was just a namesake player for the Gunners and it was his foul that gave away the penalty in the game, from which Spurs and Harry Kane scored.
Kane’s Offside And Penalty Goal
Apart from the fact that the linesman got it all wrong and that it should have been an offside decision, it was Mustafi’s silly push on Kane that gave the referee no choice but to point at the spot. Up stepped the England skipper and finished from the spot with ease. It brought back Spurs back in the game, making it 1-1.
Aubameyang Penalty Miss
Though it can be said, Aubameyang went down rather easily when Sanchez seemed to clip him, his penalty was really poor. Even when Hugo Lloris had made the initial save, the attacker had the chance to finish it off yet again. However, he was too slow to react and before he could, Vertonghen cleared it, sparing his team the blushes. It was a costly miss.
Torreira Red Card
Torreira is known for his physical presence in the midfield and he went in too strongly for a challenge on Danny Rose. The referee had no choice because his foot was too high, but to send him off for dangerous play. Yet another red card in this high intensity fixture, in which the drama never ceases to exist.
Mkhitaryan- Man Of The Match
It was another solid performance by Mkhitaryan, who looked really good on the night. He was strong right through and not just did his job while pushing forward, but was solid in defence too. With Mustafi looking invisible right through, it was the former Manchester United man who did his job too. Unfortunately, it was not enough to secure the win.
