Arsenal Insider

Thomas Frank has broken down the main reason why Arsenal battered Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby.

The clash at the Emirates on Sunday was completely one-sided. The Gunners absolutely dominated the game and deservedly picked up all three points.

Eberechi Eze’s stunning hat-trick has been seen as the reason why Arsenal won, but Frank believes it’s something else.

Thomas Frank says Arsenal beat Tottenham because they won 36 duels

Winning duels is a massive part of Mikel Arteta’s philosophy.

Arsenal have become one of the best teams on the planet over the last few years, and their manager’s demands are the biggest reason why.

Every Arsenal fan will remember the All or Nothing documentary, where Arteta lashed out at his team for losing against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup.

“When I lose a duel, I am upset,” Arteta screamed at his players.

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Mikel Arteta hates losing duels!😡

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Everyone at Arsenal is well aware of those standards now, and that was evident when they smashed Tottenham in the North London Derby.

After rewatching the game, Thomas Frank has revealed that the Gunners won 36 duels compared to his side’s 17. He thinks that is the reason why Arteta’s men won the game, and we’re sure the Arsenal manager will love that stat.

Frank told Tottenham’s official website: “I watched the game back, that was a hard watch. We were not good, bad performance, not running away from that in any way. The biggest thing was that there was plenty of intent and what we wanted to do, but we just couldn’t execute it on the day.

“The biggest thing for me, the most disappointing thing, was that we were not able to compete, and I was convinced that we could compete on the day. That didn’t happen.

“We had 53 situations where it was like a duel, a second ball situation where Arsenal went long, we went long, like in a normal football game. We came out on top in 17 of those and lost 36. If you don’t do that, that is the basic, then it’s very difficult to win a football match.”

Who was Arsenal’s Man of the Match vs Tottenham?

Mikel Arteta changed one long-standing problem at Arsenal

Arteta has transformed Arsenal in many different ways over the years, but one of his biggest successes is how nobody can bully the Gunners anymore.

There was a time under Arsene Wenger when teams that were overly physical against Arsenal managed to take points off them.

That happened so many times, and it was infuriating to watch.

Now, thanks to Arteta, no side in world football is capable of doing that to Arsenal. Every player in the squad is up for a fight these days, which is also the reason why they are so dominant in duels.

Frank was wrong to even think his side could win more duels than the Gunners. He learned that the hard way in the derby on Sunday.

Arsenal blew away Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby, and the hostile atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium played a key role in the win.

Eberechi Eze netted a superb hat-trick against Tottenham as the Gunners won 4-1 in the North London derby to move six points clear at the top of the Premier League.

On the pitch, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal team were clearly ready for battle, but also in the stands, the supporters made it tough for Spurs.

The Emirates Stadium’s atmosphere has previously been criticised, but during Sunday’s North London derby, one of the final missing pieces now looks to have been found.

Arsenal have turned the Emirates Stadium into a fortress

Arsenal have now turned the Emirates Stadium into a real fortress, a stark contrast to Manchester City and the Etihad Stadium.

Ahead of the clash with Tottenham, Arsenal unveiled a tifo with several legends on display, in an extra bid to motivate the players.

Coming to N5 now appears to be a really daunting task for most teams, and Thomas Frank’s set-up against the Gunners proves exactly that.

Do you now see the Emirates Stadium as a fortress following the North London derby?

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Spurs’ new Danish coach had his team sitting incredibly deep in a five-back formation, which is different to how his team lined up away at the Etihad.

Even when Pep Guardiola’s team visited the Emirates, the Spanish manager went against his usual principles and deployed a deep block after his team took the lead.

There aren’t many teams and stadiums in Europe that currently command such respect as Arteta’s team now does at the Emirates.

The Gunners’ ability to turn their home into a horrible place to go could now stand them in great stead to finally get over the line in the race for the Premier League title.

Thierry Henry hails Arsenal’s pre-match tifo vs Tottenham

Thierry Henry has revealed that he was a big fan of Arsenal’s pre-match tifo against Tottenham and has thanked the supporters for showing him such love.

Thierry Henry on Arsenal’s tifo vs Tottenham

“What a tifo! Thank you, Gooners!”

Thierry Henry on Instagram

The legendary Arsenal striker was front and centre on the tifo, just below Sol Campbell, displaying his iconic celebration from 2002 against the Lilywhites.

After Sunday’s North London derby, Henry took to social media to write on his Instagram: “What a tifo! Thank you, Gooners!”

Arsenal unveiled an incredible new tifo during their game against Tottenham Hotspur.

The Gunners produced a sensational performance in the North London Derby on Sunday. They were the better side from start to finish and deservedly won the game.

Even though what happened after the first whistle is what mattered, the scene was set at the Emirates before the players even walked out.

The tifo took the atmosphere to another level, and everyone associated with the club loved it, including Bukayo Saka.

Bukayo Saka’s reaction to Arsenal’s tifo vs Tottenham

The atmosphere before a North London Derby is always special, but the tifo Arsenal unveiled against Tottenham took it to a whole new level.

‘The Arsenal: These streets are our own’ was displayed below images of Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Magalhaes, Tony Adams, Thierry Henry and of course, Sol Campbell.

The tifo sent a clear message to Tottenham before the ball was even kicked – they were in enemy territory and were not welcome there.

Arsenal players may have heard that something was being planned before the game, but many of them got the first glimpse of it once they walked onto the pitch.

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Saka, who was Arsenal’s captain that evening, led the team out, saw the tifo immediately, and his reaction was a joy to see.

The England international seemed visibly proud, and a small smile could be seen on his face. He contained it well to remain focused, but it is obvious that he enjoyed it.

Watch Saka’s reaction in the video below.

Watch Bukayo Saka’s instant reaction to Arsenal’s tifo vs Tottenham Hotspur

Arsenal fans love Bukayo Saka’s reaction to the tifo vs Tottenham

Saka is Arsenal through and through.

The Englishman has been at the club since he was eight, and he would’ve had many dreams of captaining the Gunners to victory over Tottenham.

To do that and have himself on a tifo with club legends must have felt good, and Arsenal fans loved his reaction.

One Arsenal fan tweeted: “You can see the belief and pride swell in him when he saw it and then his face switched to determination. We really are THAT CLUB!!!!!”

Another wrote: “Look at him, man… built in Hale End, powered by love.”

“This man lives and breathes the Arsenal. Bukayo has put everything into it, and he loves being a part of it. That’s why we love him so much,” said another.

Eberechi Eze is the talk of the Premier League, but in the Arsenal playmaker’s eyes, not everything is rosy.

It all worked out for Eze, who, after being mocked by Thomas Frank, responded to the Tottenham manager in the best way possible.

The England international netted a hat-trick against Spurs in his first North London Derby since rejecting the Lilywhites in favour of signing for Arsenal.

Eze experienced a fairytale against Tottenham, but the perfectionist in him wanted more.

Eberechi Eze was disappointed that he didn’t score more against Tottenham

Everything fell into place for Arsenal’s summer signing against Spurs, from responding to pre-match jabs to scoring a hat-trick to usurping Martin Odegaard in the pecking order.

While it was a 10/10 day for Eze, the attacking midfielder was not actually wholly satisfied, as he revealed when talking to Arsenal’s official website post-match.

Who starts in the number 10 role for Arsenal when both fit?

“I probably should have scored four, to be honest,” Eze said.

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“I’m always trying to score more and take my chances, and be more relentless. So I’m a bit disappointed not to score that one, but it’s part of the game.”

For a player to walk away from the North London Derby unsatisfied with a hat-trick is something remarkable, but it only reinforces his desire to achieve perfection.

Mikel Arteta will absolutely love Eze’s post-match transparency, as the Arsenal manager has high demands for his £68m signing.

It was only last month that Arteta admitted he expected more goals from Eze, and very quickly, the boss’s request was answered.

Eze toyed with Tottenham: the stats

Eze was undoubtedly Man of the Match against Spurs, but it wasn’t only his goals that made his presence so loud.

The 27-year-old fired six shots on goal and believes he should’ve converted more than three of them, all while completing each of the three dribbles he attempted.

Duel-winning was a high point too, as Eze won seven of them to get stuck in and influence all areas of the pitch.

It was a perfect day for Eze, whether the forward believes he should’ve scored four or not.

Gary Neville noticed something different about Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta during the Gunners’ North London Derby win.

Arsenal beat Tottenham 4-1 at the Emirates to earn bragging rights and three essential points on matchday 12.

Eberechi Eze earned the headlines with his hat-trick, with Leandro Trossard also scoring to give Mikel Arteta a fourth consecutive North London Derby win in the Premier League.

The Arsenal manager was beaming at full-time, and for good reason, as Gary Neville spotted a shift in the Spaniard’s perspective.

Gary Neville says it’s clear Mikel Arteta was not interested in injury excuses during the North London Derby

Neville predicted that Arsenal would beat Spurs 2-1, with the Gunners adding two more to the pundit’s prediction to really rub salt into Thomas Frank’s wounds.

After the match, the Manchester United icon made it clear that he loved what he saw from Arsenal, but even more so from Arteta.

Despite Arsenal’s influx of injuries, Neville noticed that those absent from the match were not a talking point.

“I think the narrative going into today’s game, which I wasn’t even entertaining sort of in the hours, is this, you know, without Gabriel or Gabriel’s injured, no one’s interested anymore,” Neville said on The Gary Neville Podcast.

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The pundit was referencing the worry about how Gabriel’s injury would impact the North London Derby, with no consideration given to the matter on the day.

“Arsenal fans aren’t interested, Mikel Arteta is not interested, and what they’ve demonstrated again today is that they’ve now got a squad that can cope without players being fit.”

Neville took the time to hail Arsenal’s squad depth, giving a nod to Piero Hincapie’s ability to slot in alongside William Saliba in Gabriel’s absence.

The list of Arsenal players missing from the North London Derby

Gabriel was the main talking point on the injury front ahead of the game, as the defender scored twice in the North London Derbies last season.

Who was Arsenal’s Man of the Match vs Tottenham?

Hincapie came in and impressed against Tottenham, but it wasn’t only at the back where key absences could be found.

After winning and scoring four goals in the process, it’s surprising to remember that Arteta was missing four of his attackers against Spurs.

Trio of strikers, Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus were absent, as was captain Martin Odegaard, whose replacement certainly bridged the gap.

Arsenal’s squad depth is admirable and potentially difference-making in this Premier League title race.

Gilberto Silva has been dissecting Arsenal’s emphatic 4-1 win over Tottenham and picked out one Gunners player who he really loved watching.

That player was Leandro Trossard, who took his tally to ten goal contributions for this season with another goal against Tottenham.

What was Arsenal’s best goal against Tottenham?

Eberechi Eze netted a hat-trick in the North London derby and stole the headlines; however, the Belgian was one of the unsung heroes from the win.

But saying that, the former Arsenal midfielder has made sure to give Trossard his flowers for another top display at the Emirates Stadium.

Gilberto Silva was so impressed by Leandro Trossard vs Tottenham

Gilberto Silva has admitted that, whilst Eze was Man of the Match, he was so impressed by Trossard against Tottenham.

The Brazilian icon couldn’t believe that the winger delivered yet another top display and a tenth goal contribution of the season.

Darren Bent wanted Arsenal to sell Trossard not long ago, but now the Belgian is one of the most underrated players in the squad.

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Speaking about the game, Silva said on his social media: “What a great game from Arsenal today during the North London derby. Great result, keeping first place in the table and a great hat-trick from Eze.

“What a brilliant game from him, Man of the Match no doubt. But apart from him, I really liked Leandro Trossard’s performance. He played very good football today and made his contribution again.”

Arsenal gave Trossard a pay rise over the summer, which was quite a U-turn given the 30-year-old was being linked with a move away.

It appeared as though Arsenal were ready to sell Trossard, but no move ever went through, and he fortunately ended up staying in North London.

Mikel Arteta says Leandro Trossard’s sale at Arsenal was forbidden

Mikel Arteta has revealed that Trossard’s sale at Arsenal was never an option as he had ‘forbidden’ the winger from being sold.

After the game, Arteta told the media: “For me, it was forbidden for him to leave, no chance. I know the player that he is, and surrounded with the players that we have, he’s a player that is going to make a difference for us.

Who was Arsenal’s Man of the Match vs Tottenham?

“It was one of the best games [he’s had at Arsenal] so aggressive with and without the ball, so effective. He could have scored another one or two goals and he was involved in so many positive actions, so that’s what we need.”

William Saliba did something that his teammate Gabriel Magalhaes wishes he could’ve in the North London Derby.

Piero Hincapie impressed against Tottenham, replacing Gabriel in the North London Derby to partner Saliba.

It’s been a tough time for Gabriel, who will be out of action for weeks after sustaining a groin injury on international duty.

Despite not playing, Gabriel heavily celebrated Arsenal’s win over Spurs on the pitch at the Emirates, and also on social media.

What was Arsenal’s best goal against Tottenham?

William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes taunt Richarlison after Arsenal’s 4-1 win against Tottenham

Gabriel loves the North London Derby, so would’ve been gutted that he didn’t feature, but he made his presence known.

On Instagram, after the win, the centre-back posted a photo of himself wearing Eberechi Eze’s shirt while holding his teammate’s match ball, deciding to tag Tottenham striker Richarlison.

Gabriel and Richarlison have a feud despite being international teammates, and now, Saliba has caught on.

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On his own Instagram, Saliba posted a series of photos from the win, with the first and last images being of him handling Richarlison.

It came as no surprise to see Gabriel in the comments, as he wrote, ‘Oui, oui, oui merci’, then went on to share the photo of Saliba and Richarlison on his story.

Declan Rice also got involved in the social media swipe, commenting a padlock emoji to signify that the Frenchman had locked up the Tottenham forward.

How Gabriel’s feud with Richarlison started

It’s rare for two international teammates to enjoy taunting each other on social media so much, but is such behaviour to be expected when representing two clubs that are rivals?

Gabriel and Richarlison have been clashing on social media for some time, with the Spurs player initiating things after the 2024 North London Derby.

Things haven’t stopped since then, as now, Arsenal fans dislike Richarlison due to his feud with Gabriel.

There was no love lost between the two players after the Gunners’ 4-1 win, with Gabriel having the last laugh over his Selecao teammate, again.

The North London Derby belonged to Eberechi Eze, but he wasn’t the only Arsenal player to cause Tottenham real problems.

Eze absolutely humiliated Tottenham, showing Arsenal’s rivals what they missed out on during the summer transfer window.

Though the England international scored a hat-trick against Spurs, he wasn’t actually the player that the visitors had the most difficulty containing.

That title belongs to Bukayo Saka, who didn’t need to score or assist to prove that he was Arsenal’s most problematic asset against Tottenham.

Bukayo Saka caused Tottenham real problems in the North London Derby

Saka ensured he taunted Tottenham after captaining Arsenal for the first time in the North London Derby, guiding his team to a 4-1 win.

The winger didn’t only expose Spurs off the pitch, but on it too, as the numbers prove that Thomas Frank’s side couldn’t handle his threat on the right side.

Who was Arsenal’s Man of the Match vs Tottenham?

Saka was a force to be reckoned with, as no Arsenal player was fouled more times than the 24-year-old during 90 minutes.

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Spurs attempted to limit Saka by fouling him as many as four times, showing that they understood what leaving him unattended could mean.

Saka is used to being fouled due to his playing style, and in the North London Derby, Spurs fell into his trap.

What was interesting about Saka’s dominant performance was that it came against Frank, who has been trying to stop the winger for years.

Speaking in 2024, Frank spoke about how he tries to limit Saka, explaining that he would instruct his then-Brentford side to ‘double up on him’.

“We try to double up on him; he’s the key player. Close down his left foot, actually let him go on his right if you can’t close everything, that’s the biggest thing.”

Frank is an admirer of Saka and saw what the England international is all about during the North London Derby, as the Arsenal academy graduate led his club to a statement win.

Without a goal or an assist, Saka will leave the Emirates feeling overly satisfied, having toyed with Spurs for 90 minutes.

Eberechi Eze helped Arsenal secure a 4-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby.

The Gunners were all over Spurs from the opening whistle and should’ve scored in the first two minutes. They missed that opportunity, but Leandro Trossard made no mistake when he got the chance to break the deadlock.

Eze then took charge of the game and scored an incredible hat-trick, and it feels like it was written in the stars after everything that happened with him and Tottenham in the summer.

Who was Arsenal’s Man of the Match vs Tottenham?

Arsenal fans will love Eberechi Eze’s response to a question about Tottenham

Eberechi Eze dreamt of a move to Arsenal all summer, and his wish came true in the end.

However, at one point in the transfer window, Tottenham were the only club pushing to sign him, and a deal even looked like it was going to be done.

Then, Kai Havertz suffered an injury, and Arsenal stepped up. They held talks with Crystal Palace about a transfer, and Eze instantly made it clear that he wanted to go to the red half of North London.

If the Gunners had been a bit late with their move, Eze would’ve probably been playing for Tottenham now, but it all worked out in the end.

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After scoring his hat-trick and winning the Man of the Match award, the Arsenal number 10 was reminded of the summer window and how close he came to joining Tottenham.

Eze instantly dismissed that question. “Let’s not speak about that,” he said on Sky Sports, making it clear that he has no interest in speaking about Spurs or their interest in him in the summer.

Fans will love that from Eze, who has proven that he is Arsenal through and through.

Arsenal made the right choice in the summer, even though it cost them more money

Arsenal made eight new signings in the summer transfer window, but they were linked with over a dozen more names.

It was clear before the window even started that the Gunners needed reinforcements in multiple positions on the pitch, and they looked at several players.

One player Arsenal were linked with was Xavi Simons, but Andrea Berta chose to sign Eze in the end, even though he was more expensive.

That has proved to be the right decision, as the Arsenal number 10 was the best player on the pitch against Spurs, while Simons came on as a substitute and didn’t do much.

Eberechi Eze was the star of the show as Arsenal thrashed Tottenham Hotspur, but he wasn’t the only player who impressed.

The Gunners dominated Spurs from the very first whistle. They were the better side and completely deserved their 4-1 win.

Eze will get all the plaudits for his hat-trick and rightly so. But another player was quietly superb in the North London Derby – Mikel Merino.

Mikel Merino was Arsenal’s unsung hero vs Tottenham

Arsenal had both Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz unavailable because of injuries, so Mikel Arteta turned to Merino once again.

The Spaniard played up top in the second half of last season, and even though it was a completely new experience for him, he performed really well.

Merino has impressed in that role in recent months too, and he was once again excellent in Arsenal’s win against Tottenham.

The former Real Sociedad man held the ball up really well, created space for his teammates and played a big part in the attacks.

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His pass for Leandro Trossard’s goal was outstanding, and even though he won’t get the amount of praise he deserves, he should be really happy with his display.

There is no update on Gyokeres or Havertz’s return dates, but Arsenal fans have nothing to worry about because Merino can do a job until they’re back.

Which is Mikel Merino’s best position at Arsenal?

Mikel Arteta delivers instant verdict on Mikel Merino’s North London Derby display

Arteta was a happy man after Arsenal’s 4-1 win against Tottenham on Sunday.

The Gunners boss loved seeing Eze score his hat-trick, but he was delighted with Merino’s performance as a striker as well.

In his press conference after the game, Arteta was asked about the former Real Sociedad man leading the line in the North London Derby.

He replied, as per Football London: “Yes, I think he was incredible again. We are asking him to fill as a nine and he’s not a nine. Such an intelligent player.

“He gives you the right reason to trust him.”