A win that felt like something of a throwback. A goal against the run of play, and a defensive display that felt redolent of the Arsenal team of George Graham. 1-0 to the Arsenal.
Wojciech Szczesny - 8 – Made a brilliant save in the second-half. But I felt his claiming of crosses, and command of his penalty area was even more impressive. He appeared unflappable as Tottenham desperately pressed for an equaliser.
Carl Jenkinson – 7 – Looked all at sea in the early stages, struggling to deal with Nacer Chadli. However, he recovered well as the game continued, and played his part in the Arsenal rearguard in the second-half.
Per Mertesacker – 7 – Another one who started the match poorly. His passing was awry, and at times lost track of Roberto Soldado. But improved steadily, and made a series of important interventions, especially in the air.
Laurent Koscielny – 8 – Fast becoming one of Arsenal's most important players. He chased and tackled like a dervish, sticking tightly to the nearest man in a white shirt. It can be a risky strategy, but fully paid off today, as he had a magnificent match,
Kieran Gibbs - 7 – Initially seemed to forget that Andros Townsend prefers to cut inside on his left foot, and gave him far too much space. Gibbs gave a much better account of himself in the second-half, defending solidly, but was found wanting when attacking.
Jack Wilshere – 7 – Had to leave just before half-time with illness, but was impressive up to then. Playing as the deepest midfielder, he passed well, and showed a defensive discipline that we don't often associate with him.
Aaron Ramsey – 7 – A mixed bag from Ramsey. His passing and finishing was more like the inconsistent stuff from a couple of years ago. However, it would be unfair to overlook his tireless running, and important tackling as Arsenal held firm under Tottenham's second-half attacks.
Tomas Rosicky – 7 – Improved as the match progressed. Passed poorly in the early stages, but became more influential as Arsenal settled into a counter-attacking strategy. He played a key part in the goal, and sparked many of Arsenal's more threatening moments.
Theo Walcott – 7 – Made a number of dangerous runs, but failed to get the sufficient service to exploit the space behind the Tottenham defence. And it may be time to stop the talk about Walcott's final ball, as his assist for the goal was first rate.
Olivier Giroud - 8 – He gave Michael Dawson and Jan Vertonghen a tough afternoon. Not only did he take his goal well, but Giroud's industry was a crucial aspect of the Arsenal defensive display. He cleared a shot off the line, and this is probably the Frenchman's first major contribution in a big game for Arsenal.
Santi Cazorla – 6 – I wonder if a third match in a week was too much for Cazorla, as this was an uncharacteristically poor performance by the Spaniard. He nearly scored with an early free-kick, and was a willing outlet for the ball. But his passing – especially to Walcott – fell short of its normal quality.
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Mathieu Flamini – 7 – Earlier than expected, we saw why the acquisition of Flamini could prove useful for Arsenal. He added steel in front of the defence, tackling and chasing with intent.
Nacho Monreal – 6 – Out of position in left-midfield, but helped the defensive rearguard.
Bacary Sagna – 6 – Brought on in the final stages. Made an important late header.
It's fair to say that winning the North London derby has rebalanced Arsenal's season after the opening day defeat to Aston Villa. However, all it's done is given Arsenal a fighting chance of making a realistic attempt at finishing in the top 4 again. One suspects that what Arsenal do on Monday will matter more than what happened today.
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