Arsenal 3 Spurs 1: Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka star as Gunners storm to stunning North London derby win
TOTTENHAM’S new boss Nuno Espirito Santo is already facing a fight to save his job after their bitter rivals Arsenal ripped his team apart in the North London derby.
Having arrived at the Emirates on the back two successive 3-0 Premier League defeats – away to Crystal Palace and at home to Chelsea – shell-shocked Spurs found themselves 3-0 down after just 34 minutes.
Goals from Emile Smith Rowe, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bukayo Saka did the damage.
Son Heung-min’s 79th minute strike was scant consolation for Nuno and his players whose fine start to the season now seems a distant memory.
After the opening three Prem matches, Tottenham were top of the table on nine points while Arsenal were bottom with none.
But this result moved the Gunners up to 10th in table, one place above their neighbours on goals scored.
It also turned the heat up on Nuno who only took over at Tottenham on June 30.
Spurs once again looked a shadow of the side that reached the 2019 Champions League Final under Mauricio Pochettino.
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Star striker Harry Kane – who has still not scored a Prem goal after failing to force through a move to Manchester City in the summer – had another afternoon to forget.
And he was not the only one in a white shirt who had a shocker.
As for Arsenal, Smith Rowe, Saka and Thomas Partey were the standout performers, though in truth all of their stars played well.
The Gunners came charging out of the blocks and took an 11th minute lead when Saka crossed for an unmarked Smith Rowe to steer in his second goal in two games following his strike in Wednesday’s 3-0 Carabao Cup win over Wimbledon.
Partey then nearly added another for the Gunners when his 25 yard shot produced a brilliant save from Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris.
The visitors were on the ropes like Anthony Joshua but they almost levelled against the run of play with a Son run and shot which was superbly pushed over by Arsenal stopper Aaron Ramsdale at his near post.
But the Gunners grabbed the second their dominance deserved in the 27th minute when Aubameyang – dropped by boss Mikel Arteta for this fixture last season for turning up late to a team meeting – arrived right on time to slot home Smith Rowe’s return ball having sent him clear on the left with a wonderful flick.
Saka wrapped the game up with a fine finish to make it 3-0 seven minutes later after calamity Kane had slipped over in both boxes.
Nuno took off Dele Alli and Japhet Tanganga at the break – although he could have dragged several more – and sent on Oliver Skipp and Emerson Royal.
But it made little difference.
Kane missed a sitter when he poked his shot wide with only Ramsdale to beat – leading to Arsenal taunting him with a sarcastic chant: “He’s one of our own.”
Lloris made a late save to deny Saka another goal before Son sidefooted in Sergio Reguilon’s cross to reduce the arrears with 11 minutes remaining.
Ramsdale then tipped Lucas Moura’s deflected 20 yard shot onto the bar.
But it was too little too late for Tottenham.
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