LONDON: Arsenal set themselves up perfectly for next Sunday-s top-of-the-table visit to champions Manchester City by winning the North London derby 1:0 at Tottenham. Victory meant second-placed Arsenal trail City by just two points and can draw satisfaction from winning without two key men.

Manager Mikel Arteta missed midfielders Declan Rice through suspension and captain Martin Odegaard, through injury on international duty. His team, not surprisingly, were not at their best but defended with speed and determination. A 64^th-minute header from Gabriel proved a third successive win at Tottenham for the first time since the late 1980s.

Arteta and sporting director Edu have sought steadily to strengthen Arsenal’s squad over the last two summers but probably need another two transfer windows to come anywhere near matching City. Arteta does not have the same rotation options as Pep Guardiola. This may become clear from Arsenal’s selection against Atalanta in Italy in the Champions League on Thursday.

Arteta said: “It was an unbelievable team performance. I’m delighted. Over the season we have to go over a lot of hurdles so my compliments to the team. They are , prepared to do the ugly things and still enjoy that part of the game and prove we can win in any context. We knew it would be a tough match. We should have done more in the first half and we did a lot of simple things but then wrong we defended well.”

Jorginho, who had both come into midfield and taken the captain’s armband, added: “We know we can count on each one of our team-mates. We had key players missing but we are a total team, the whole squad. We know that whoever comes on will be ready. We are really proud of the team.”

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou said: “Very disappointing for us and our supporters. For the most part we controlled the game. We created some chances but could have created more. It’s not for lack of trying. We are playing well but not getting the results for it.”

Arsenal’s hesitant start was not a surprise, considering the absences of Rice and Odegaard. Once they settled into the game they started to threaten on the counter-attack. Spurs keeper Guglielmo Vicario saved two Kai Havertz headers and an angled shot from Gabriel Martinelli in a first half featuring seven yellow cards and tempers rising in true derby fashion.

Eventually Spurs paid a heavy price for their perpetual inability to defend against set pieces. Gabriel headed Arsenal’s winner in the 64^th minute with a close-range header to Bukayo Saka’s right-wing corner. Tottenham had kept only three clean sheets in the Premier League in 2024. Vicario, yet again, remained stuck on his goal-line.

Arsenal not only held on comfortably but could even afford to provide Raheem Sterling with 10 minutes to adapt to the Arteta way. Once again their fans could raise the old chant: “One-nil to the Arsenal!”

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