Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says his team are back in the Premier League title race after they defeated North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night, Afrosport reports.
South Korea superstar Heung-Min Son put Spurs ahead in the 25th minute for his eighth derby goal which is the most by a Tottenham player only behind Harry Kane (14).
Fortunes however favoured the Gunners when Dominic Solanke put the ball into his own net in the 40th minute before Leandro Trossard gave them the lead which ultimately turned out to be the three points.
It was Arsenal’s first win in three competitive outings after losing to Newcastle United in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-finals before crashing out of the FA Cup third round on penalties against Manchester United.
5 – Arsenal have done the Premier League double over Tottenham for a fifth time (twice under Arteta and three times under Wenger), which is four more times than Spurs have done so against the Gunners in the competition (once in 1992-93). Bragging. pic.twitter.com/FKK0qIPBb0
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 15, 2025
It puts Arteta’s side just four points behind league leaders Liverpool and reopening the title race after questions were raised about the Spaniard and his ability to push his team through with the next clash against Aston Villa.
“We are because there’s so much to play for, and we can see how difficult it is for every team to win,” he said.
“The result gives us the chance to enjoy the moment instead of momentum because momentum starts tomorrow to prepare us for Villa.
“Three days later, that’s all the momentum that we have until tomorrow morning when we see our faces and we start to talk about how we’re going to beat Villa.”
Meanwhile, 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly became the second youngest Arsenal player to feature in the North London derby after Cesc Fabregas and hopes the team sticks together as a unit.
“You feel some kind of momentum not on your side, and sometimes we have it,” he said. “But it’s important that as a team we stay together, and we hold each other accountable in these moments.
“We just had to hang on and make sure that we keep doing our basics well, keep communicating. We needed the fans in the last moments and they did that, so we’re grateful.
“We’re buzzing now, ready to go on and kick on now so good team morale. Thank you to Mikel for giving me the chance again, so I’m grateful. Onto the next one!”
2 – Myles Lewis-Skelly is the second-youngest Arsenal player to start in a North London derby in the Premier League (18y 111d), after Cesc Fàbregas, who started home and away as a 17-year-old in 2004-05. Entrusted. pic.twitter.com/im1amhojCr
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 15, 2025
Lewis-Skelly has occupied the left-back spot for Arsenal this season in the absence of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Riccardo Calafiori, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ben White, Jurrien Timber and Kieran Tierney who have all had spells with injuries.
