Arsenal 2-0 Tottenham: Arsenal Swept Spurs With Two First Half Goals

steemsports (80)in #steemsports • 6 years ago

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Shkodran Mustafi’s headed effort put Arsenal in front before the halftime from a Mesut Ozil free kick
Alexis Sanchez smashed in from close range before the break as Gunners cemented their superiority in the first half
Christian Eriksen hit the post in the first half, and Petr Cech had to brilliantly deny Eric Dier in the second
Danny Rose didn’t make the bench, fuelling more speculation about his future

About 17-18 days ago, Tottenham Hotspur was the talk of the whole Europe. They destroyed Real Madrid in a very convincing manner. 3-1 seemed to flatter Madrid. Spurs was lauded by many as a team finally coming of age under the tactical nous of Mauricio Pochettin. Things do change fast, though as such a team didn’t exist anymore on Saturday. It was Arsenal who this time won all the plaudits in a match Tottenham Hotspur simply didn’t bother to turn up for

The much-maligned Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil were key cogs in dismantling a reeling Spurs side. Wenger also had the services of an Alexander Lacazatte who seems to be finding some sort of rhythm and dare I say form... at last.

Most people would agree that Mustafi’s goal was offside, but it counted nonetheless, and it was actually a deserved punishment for Tottenham which seemed to prefer wandering around aimlessly throughout the match rather than put up a fight. However, the circumstances that led to the goal had many Tottenham fans and neutrals alike scratching their heads.

With Alexis Sanchez looking to break through past the last man, Davinson Sanchez, the Colombian center back smartly slid in, winning the ball cleanly only for the Referee to blow the whistle for a foul.

Ozil’s free-kick was then delivered divinely on to the head of Mustafi who was marginally offside. Mustafi delivered a sumptuous header beyond a hapless Hugo Lloris. The second goal came in the 43rd minute when Bellerin played a delightful lofted pass towards Lacazette who seemed offside but actually wasn’t.

Lacazette played in Sanchez, and the Chilean looked to have missed the opportunity due to an initial miss-control. From a tight angle, he managed to lift the ball over Lloris and score from close range.

It was not the usual high pressing and jaw-dropping performance from Tottenham as Harry Kane, Dele Alli, and Christian Eriksen all failed to turn up. At the end of the day, they only have themselves to blame for failing to turn up at one of the biggest occasions of the season.

The loss means that Mauricio Pochettino has won only once away against top six opposition since taking over at White Hart Lane.