Many Spurs fans began making their way towards the exits as Kai Havertz put Arsenal three goals in front before the halfway stage at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this afternoon.
The north London derby had been billed as a potential banana skin in Arsenal’s push for the Premier League title, with champions Manchester City facing Nottingham Forest later today, but Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs rolled over in what was a feeble first-half display.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg inadvertently directed the ball into his own net following a corner to hand Arsenal the lead in the 15th minute and things went from bad to worse for the hosts as the Bukayo Saka finished off a clinical counter-attacking move to double the visitors advantage.
After Tottenham had a goal disallowed for offside, Kai Havertz – a player reborn in recent weeks – headed home to pile yet more misery on the home team as the Gunners once again wreaked havoc from a corner.
Analysing Arsenal’s opener, former Manchester United right-back Gary Neville – speaking on Sky Sports’ commentary of the game – highlighted White’s role in the goal, branding the defender a ‘nuisance’ in the build-up.
‘It’s been the same set-up all year for Arsenal and it has been good all year,’ Neville said as Arsenal scored their 20th set-piece goal to break the deadlock in north London.
‘Ben White the nuisance, the five big lads getting across that near post. [Takehiro] Tomiyasu just does enough.
‘He bugs Hojbjerg and he can’t get a full head on it. Vicario has no chance. It is past him in a flash.’
Replays showed how White had been attempting to loosen Vicario’s gloves in the moments leading up to Hojbjerg’s own goal which, with the Tottenham goalkeeper forced to swat the defender away instead of concentrating on the set piece.
Unsurprisingly, the clip went down very well with Arsenal supporters on social media. Spurs fans, not so much…
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