As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the game. E-mail paul@thescore.ie, tweet @thescore_ie, post a message to our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below.
You may need to refresh the page for YouTube videos and other elements to display correctly.
Tottenham 0-1 Arsenal
It’s already been a potentially definitive day in the Premier League in light of the result earlier.
Can Arsenal deliver an equally convincing performance to maintain their title challenge? Watch this space…
Here are the teams…
TOTTENHAM: Lloris; Naughton, Kaboul, Vertonghen, Rose; Sandro; Townsend, Bentaleb, Eriksen, Chadli; Adebayor.
ARSENAL: Szczesny, Sagna, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Gibbs, Arteta, Rosicky, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Podolski, Cazorla, Giroud.
A look at the history between the sides.
We’re underway…
GOAL FOR ARSENAL!
Arsenal 1-0 Tottenham: Rosicky rifles the ball superbly into the net from just outside the box after Oxlade-Chamberlain laid it off to him (2 mins).
What a start for Arsenal!
Tottenham haven’t looked too rattled by that goal.
They’ve enjoyed some good possession and territory since then.
This would be described as a low-key start if it hadn’t been for that Rosicky thunderbolt.
Little of note has happened apart from the goal.
Oxlade-Chamberlain powers through on goal but he chips it well wide.
A frustrated Tim Sherwood throws his jacket down in disgust at the ease with which he got past the defenders there.
The England international has been impressive in central midfield so far.
Better from Spurs, as Townsend gets to the by-line but there’s no one in the box to covert his cross into the box.
A snapshot of Spurs’ goal-shy season in microcosm perhaps?
Sagna gets booked for a dangerous tackle on Rose.
The Spurs fans were hoping that would result in a greater punishment, but the referee probably gets the decision correct judging by the replays.
Poor Danny Rose is in the wars today.
He’s just gone down under another robust challenge from Sagna.
Podolski crosses to Oxlade-Chamberlain, who fires his shot wide.
Tottenham’s defence has consistently looked vulnerable to the counter-attack, with Arsenal exposing their inadequate high line on a regular basis.
As I type, Adebayor knees Naughton’s cross just wide. This is turning into a very good game now.
Eriksen can’t repeat his midweek heroics as he curls a free-kick well wide.
Tottenham are coming more into this game now.
Tottenham have put in several crosses in this first half but more often than not, there are far too few of their attackers in the box.
It’s no surprise they’ve struggled for goals this season on today’s evidence.
Podolski accelerates away from Kaboul, but he can only find the side-netting with his shot.
Arsenal will perhaps feel they could have had two or three more goals in this first half if their finishing was a little more clinical.
Rosicky shrugs off Danny Rose, before playing the ball to Oxlade-Chamberlain, who wastefully drags the ball over the bar.
Only one team look capable of winning this game at the moment.
Some famous faces…
(Noted Arsenal fan and CNN talk show host Piers Morgan in the crowd)
(Film director Steve McQueen [centre] in the stands)
HALF-TIME: TOTTENHAM 0-1 ARSENAL
Arsenal deservedly lead 1-0 at half-time. Tottenham have had some good possession but have had trouble creating clear-cut chances, as the Gunners have defended well while looking dangerous on the counter attack.
We’ll be back for the second half…
The second half has begun…
Chadli somehow misses after Szczesny fails to collect a routine cross.
He shoots straight at the defender with the goal at his mercy, allowing Arsenal to clear their lines.
Tottenham are getting closer.
Townsend’s cross finds Chadli but he can’t quite connect properly with the cross.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy does his best unimpressed face.
Tottenham are still probing yet lacking the necessary bit of creative ingenuity to open up the Gunners defence.
Half an hour to play…
Jose Mourinho made the point last week that Chelsea never felt in danger with Spurs attacking and there’s a sense of that today too.
All too often, there’s a lack of conviction evident in their play in the final third, with far too many overhit crosses and hopeful attempts on goal.
The fact that they’ve only had one shot on target consolidates this idea.
Paulinho will replace Sandro and Sigurdsson is coming on for Chadli, as Spurs try to rescue this game.
Meanwhile, for Arsenal, Flamini takes the place of their goalscorer Rosicky.
Despite some exciting periods before the break, this second half has felt a little tedious at times.
Neither side has created any real chances, save for Chadli almost capitalising on that Szczesny howler at the beginning of the second half.
Vertonghen is a lucky boy. He has his arms around Koscielny as a free kick is floated in to the box, but the referee ignores the Arsenal’s defenders subsequent protests.
Meanwhile, Podolski has departed the action, with Monreal coming on.
Roberto Soldado is about to come on, as Spurs desperately look for inspiration in the final ten minutes.
The crowd are very quiet at the moment, with the home side not giving them much to get excited about.
The crowd boo Sherwood’s decision to take off Eriksen, as Soldado enters the action.
Taking off arguably their most creative player when a goal is badly need is certainly disputable.
Meanwhile, Arsenal also make a final substitution, with Oxlade-Chamberlain limping off and Vermaelen taking his place.
The minority of Arsenal fans are in full voice, as four minutes of added time is confirmed.
Can Spurs rescue a point? It’s not looking likely at the moment.
The Sherwood backlash continues…
FULL-TIME: TOTTENHAM 0-1 ARSENAL
Tottenham have come unstuck against a big side again, though they’ve at least avoided a thrashing this time.
That said, it was in its own way just as meek as their other high-profile defeats this season. Aside from that Szczesny mishap, they had few chances to equalise, with Arsenal generally looking relatively comfortable at the back.
The Gunners maintain their title bid, with a display in which they rarely had to get out of second gear, nonetheless they performed efficiently enough to achieve the desired result.
Right, that’s all from me.
Thanks for reading and commenting, and enjoy St Patrick’s Day.
