LONDON – Bukayo Saka said Arsenal have learnt from their failed title tilt last season after the Gunners held on to beat battling local rivals Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 away on April 28.
The result saw Arsenal move four points clear at the top of the English Premier League after an emphatic first-half display and a nervous second period in an electric derby atmosphere at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Champions Manchester City, however, narrowed that gap back to one point with a game in hand after a 2-0 win at Nottingham Forest in the late game.
An own goal by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and efforts from Saka and Kai Havertz put the Gunners in control at half-time and although Spurs fought back through Cristian Romero’s strike and a Son Heung-min penalty, the visitors claimed the three points.
It meant Arsenal have won consecutive top-flight away matches against Spurs for the first time since September 1988.
Saka told Sky Sports: “The last 20 minutes wasn’t nice, but it was worth it. We know it is a big derby and they don’t want to lose 3-0 at home.
“Momentum shifted their way, but I am proud of the boys – we managed to get the three points.
“We needed to be calm and everything was frantic. We showed our level heads at the end and I am proud of everyone, it was a nice moment – we know what it means to the fans. It means everything and it is a massive win for us... Maybe last season that could have ended in a draw and we showed we have the experience.”
Liverpool are in third spot, five points behind Arsenal, having played 35 matches with three games left.
Tottenham’s defeat hit their hopes of playing Champions League football next season as they stand seven points off fourth-placed Aston Villa, albeit still with two games in hand.
Arsenal arrived at the home of their neighbours desperate for a win to boost their title challenge and got the perfect start after 15 minutes when midfielder Hojbjerg headed the ball back into his own net from a corner.
Tottenham reacted to going behind and defender Romero hit the outside of the post from a James Maddison cross.
The hosts thought they had equalised when Micky van de Ven placed the ball past goalkeeper David Raya after Pedro Porro’s strike deflected to him, but after a long delay the goal was ruled out by the video assistant referee (VAR) for offside.
The Gunners extended their lead just before the half-hour mark, though, when a counter-attack was calmly finished by Saka after Spurs’ Dejan Kulusevski slipped in the Arsenal area.
It was Saka’s 15th league goal of the season, the best haul of his career. It also meant he became the first English player to score home and away for Arsenal against Tottenham in a league campaign since Ian Wright in 1993-94.
Havertz added the third with a simple header from a corner that eluded the home defence and the visitors were flying.
That was the Gunners’ 16th goal from a corner this term, the most by a team in a single campaign since West Bromwich Albion’s 16 strikes in 2016-17.
It was also the first time shell-shocked Tottenham had fallen 3-0 behind at home to bitter rivals Arsenal since 1959.
Spurs replaced Rodrigo Bentancur with Pape Matar Sarr at half-time and they pulled a goal back through Romero just past the hour mark after Raya played the ball straight to him and the Argentinian found the bottom corner to lift the home fans.
Tottenham were awarded a penalty following a VAR check in the 87th minute after Declan Rice kicked Ben Davies just inside the area when the Arsenal midfielder tried to clear the ball and Son stepped up to convert the spot-kick as the noise level rose.
Spurs piled on the pressure but could not breach the Arsenal defence again and the visitors were left to celebrate the win.
Said Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou: “We allowed them way too easy access to our goal, it’s not acceptable at this level and we paid the price. We fought back – we had to, there’s no other choice – but it’s still very disappointing.” REUTERS
