1 Arsenal: Gabriel header settles north London derby as Gunners win on Spurs turf again

Gabriel headed a priceless winner as Arsenal moved up to second place in the Premier League table with a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Tottenham in the north London derby.

The Brazilian defender was left free to bullet home a header from Bukayo Saka’s right-wing corner on 64 minutes as Mikel Arteta’s side once again demonstrated their quality at set pieces.

It capped a resilient, organised display from The Gunners, who sat deep and threatened on the counter attack, thwarting Spurs continually and making light of the absence of key midfielders Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard.

Europa League

How to watch the UEFA Europa League on TNT Sports and discovery+

Tottenham had started brightly but fit-again summer signing Dominic Solanke wasted a good early opportunity while David Raya kept out Dejan Kulusevski.

The result sees Arsenal move up to second place, two points behind leaders Manchester City. Tottenham sit 13th with just four points from their opening four top-flight games.

Next up, Spurs travel to Coventry in the League Cup on Wednesday night prior to hosting Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday.

Arsenal are at Atalanta in the UEFA Champions League on Thursday and then visit Premier League champions Manchester City in a crunch encounter next Sunday.

Talking Point - A familiar set-piece story as '1-0 to the Arsenal' is re-imagined by Mikel and Co

The last time Arsenal visited their neighbours, The Gunners came out on top thanks in no small part to some well-worked set pieces.

Well, it was deja vu for Arteta and his men as a disciplined performance ensured concern over missing key components in their midfield was ill-found.

Arsenal have now scored 23 goals from set pieces since the beginning of the 2023/24 campaign, which is the most of any team in the top flight.

It not only earns Arsenal the bragging rights but also gives them a crucial victory to keep pace with Man City at the summit ahead of a top-two clash at the Etihad next Sunday.

Indeed, this performance potentially provided a dress rehearsal and blueprint for how to cope with what they will face versus the champions next weekend.

Spurs will rue a lack of cutting edge despite the return to fitness of Solanke in attack while Guglielmo Vicario’s lack of confidence dealing with deliveries into his box remains a concern.

Gabriel of Arsenal scores the first goal during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Arsenal FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 15, 2024 in London, England

Image credit: Getty Images

Player of the match - Gabriel (Arsenal)

So often, his centre-back partner William Saliba takes the headlines and plaudits, but it is the Brazilian who stands out from this game. Not only was he imperious at the back in helping to repel everything Spurs threw into the area, but he once again showed his knack for popping up with key goals as he powered home a memorable winner.

Player ratings

TOTTENHAM: Vicario 5, Porro 6, Van de Ven 7, Romero 6, Udogie 6, Bentancur 6, Maddison 6, Kulusevski 7, Johnson 6, Son 6, Solanke 5. Subs: Sarr 6, Odobert 6, Werner n/a.

ARSENAL: Raya 7, White 8, Saliba 8, Gabriel 9, Timber 8, Partey 8, Jorginho 6, Havertz 6, Saka 6, Trossard 6, Martinelli 7. Subs: Sterling n/a, Jesus n/a, Nwaneri n/a.

Match Highlights

Key Stats

- - -

Stream the 2024-25 Premier League live on TNT Sports and discovery+

Premier League

Isak scores winner as Newcastle stun Tottenham at St James’ Park

Premier League

Brighton rescue draw at Arsenal after controversial Rice red card