Arsenal hold nerve to beat Spurs, go four points clear

Arsenal showed their title credentials by battling to a 3-2 victory over fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur in a pulsating North London derby on Sunday. The hard-fought win moves the Gunners four points clear at the top of the English Premier League ahead of Manchester City’s clash with Nottingham Forest.

Mikel Arteta’s side drew first blood through an own goal from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg before Bukayo Saka’s sublime finish and Kai Havertz’s close-range header gave them a commanding 3-0 lead at the interval. Despite Cristian Romero and Son Heung-min netting in the second period to set up a grandstand finish, Arsenal held their nerve to claim a vital three points.

The result extends the Gunners’ impressive run against Spurs to just one defeat in the last seven North London derbies. Arteta will be buoyed by his side’s resilience in digging out a pivotal win, while opposite number Ange Postecoglou is left to rue defensive lapses that proved costly on a feisty afternoon in North London.

Arsenal’s ability to prevail in such a high-stakes encounter will fuel the belief that this could finally be their year to end a long wait for EPL glory. With defending champions City needing to keep pace, a four-point cushion at the summit represents a tantalising opportunity for the Gunners to increase the pressure in the run-in.

Tottenham, meanwhile, are left to lick their wounds after spurning a golden chance to dent the title aspirations of their fiercest city rivals. Despite a spirited fightback, defensive frailties continue to undermine their ambitions of gate-crashing the top four, with European qualification now the ceiling for their ambitions this term.