The Sunday Mail
Wembley. – Harry Kane tormented Arsenal again as the Tottenham striker’s clinical finish yesterday sealed a 1-0 win in the north London derby at Wembley.
Kane’s header early in the second half gave Tottenham the victory their enterprising display deserved as Mauricio Pochettino’s side climbed to third in the Premier League.
It was the Tottenham striker’s seventh goal in seven league games against the club who rejected him as a youngster.
In the first north London derby at Wembley for 25 years, Tottenham extended their recent mastery over Arsenal, who have won only once in the last eight league meetings with their hated neighbours.
Tottenham are also unbeaten in their last nine league matches and remain in a good position to qualify for the Champions League via a top four finish.
In stark contrast, this was another dispiriting day for Arsenal in a season already marred by too many painful moments. Arsenal’s first defeat in 10 visits to Wembley is a huge blow to their hopes of returning to the Champions League.
The Gunners, winless in 16 Premier away league games against the top five, fell seven points behind Tottenham and are six adrift of the top four. Adopting an unusually cautious approach, Arsenal were rendered impotent for long periods, leaving club record signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang chasing lost causes.
Kane wasted a golden opportunity to open the scoring midway through the first half when he headed over from Christian Eriksen’s pin-point cross.
Hector Bellerin made a well-timed burst onto Mesut Ozil’s pass, but despite being in acres of spaces, the Arsenal defender couldn’t keep his long-range effort on target.
It was a miscue in keeping with Arsenal’s failure to find their rhythm as new signings Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan struggled to replicate last weekend’s dazzling displays against Everton. – AFP
