Arsenal 2 Spurs 1
Never change players when you are facing a corner. So says the unwritten law. Spurs broke it (Keane for Defoe) and suffered.
The way Bendtner (on for Eboue at the same time) rose, hung and directed a bullet header past Robinson for his first touch, would have reminded Seventies Gooners of John Radford.
Nic Bentdner is more a super-sub, and able to change games than Theo Walcott at the moment. Not only does he provide an additional aerial threat, the ball sticks and when it does, it invariably goes into a productive and/or dangerous area.
Scoring against Spurs will help bed the Dane in – particularly as sounds such as – super Nic, super Nicklas Bentdner came from all but one lower corner.
The game will also help Almunia bed in -if any bedding in was needed – and it probably was given the possibly undermining influence of Lehmann. Admittedly Keane‘s penalty was too near to the Spaniard’s right – but this was a tense North London derby – and the plaudits will do no harm at all.
At the final whistle first Toure, and then several other Arsenal players ran back to congratulate Almunia.
The atmosphere, compared to the Chelsea game last week (with its sustained and relentless vitriol) started off surprisingly tame and insipid. The home crowd as well as the home team looked and sounded like they’d had a Christmas party the night before, maybe something to do with a lunch-time kick off.
Spurs fielded an unusual looking team, with players out of position at the back. A couple of young reserve team players – O’Hara and the tricky Taarabt as a substitute, both of whom gave Arsenal Reserves a torrid time at Underhill, last season, look like they’ve progressed to the first team, under the Ramos regime. And the German u-21 star Boateng is being given a run in the side – and all three added a youthful zest.
A bright opening from Arsenal though saw Flamini run onto a lob and tapping it just wide of Robinson‘s post.
Berbatov replied with a miscued shot.
Tottenham spread it around well. They kept Keane and Berbatov up front but kept a shield of three or four players most times within ten to fifteen yards off the ball, in a rough semi-circle when Arsenal had it. Lennon often made it 4-3-3 when they went forward.
Whether it was this tactic – or Arsenal having a bad day with a lot of passes going astray – or Rob Styles officaldom – blowing up instead of letting play flow or a bit of all three, is hard to say. But Tottenham frustrated Arsenal to such an extent, the next attempt on Robinson’s goal was when Adebayor set up Eboue on 34, in the Spurs area with the Englishman diving to his left to beat out the shot.
Tottenham threatened more down the right, and a dangerous cross by Lennon was flicked clear by Sagna before Keane could head it.
Another move involving Lennon, Keane and Boateng, saw the German launch a bending dipper which was nearer than most thought.
Adebayor got his head to a corner, but again Robinson leapt to his right to push it away.
To compound things for an increasingly frustrated crowd, Gallas was booked for what looked an innocuous challenge on Berbatov. If this was on points – then Spurs would have shaded the first half, despite Toure‘s late headed effort.
There was more zip about Arsenal at the start of the second and on 48, Rosicky found the forward run of Fabregas with a reverse pass. The Spaniard wrong footed the Spurs defence with a back-heel, leaving Adebayor clear to find an angled low shot through Robinson.
The game needed that to shake of the pre-Christmas cobwebs.
It also galvanised Spurs, who became more offensive.
Again it was Lennon threatening on the right, finding space and firing in a looping cross, for Keane to smack the bar.
A warning shot which went unheeded. Again a bouncing ball from Chimbonda, which Clichy found hard to deal with, saw Keane, backheel it to, and Berbatov in a little space, who beat Almunia with a nearpost angled drive. A disappointing goal for the Spaniard to concede.
It got worse as Spurs showed their attacking prowess. Toure was judged to have clipped Berbatov in a penalty box scramble. The Irishman fired it to close to Almunia, whose reactions were first class tough to beat it out.
Again this injected the adrenaline to get Arsenal going.
Fabregas‘s hanging corner on 75 saw Bentdner rise majestically – ultimately giving Arsenal the second headed winner in a week. Who would have given odds on that a year ago?
Gilberto came on for Hleb for the last ten minutes, and the Spurs threat subsided somewhat as Arsenal played more keep-ball, giving Arsenal fans an early present: a double over Spurs before Christmas.
Arsenal: Manuel Almunia, Emmanuel Eboue (Nicklas Bendtner 74) Kolo Toure, Gael Clichy, William Gallas, Bacary Sagna, Cesc Fabregas, Mathieu Flamini, Alexander Hleb (Gilberto 80) Tomas Rosicky, Emmanuel Adebayor. Subs not used: Jens Lehmann, Philippe Senderos, Eduardo
Tottenham Hotspur: Paul Robinson, Pascal Chimbonda, Young-Pyo Lee (Adel Taarabt 79) Younes Kaboul, Teemu Tainio, Kevin-Prince Boateng (Tom Huddlestone 60) Jamie O’Hara, Aaron Lennon, Steed Malbranque, Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane (Jermaine Defoe 74) Subs not used: Radek Cerny, Troy Archibald-Henville
Referee – Rob Styles (Hampshire)