Arsenal could feel the breath of Manchester City on their necks and the questions mounting; the anxiety all around them. The draw at Wolves on Wednesday had been a disaster and, with only two Premier League wins in seven, everybody seemed to want to say the same thing. Mikel Arteta and his players were cracking up in their pursuit of the title.
This was the soothing tonic they craved, a comfortable and confident dismissal of a Tottenham team desperate to feel a new manager bounce under Igor Tudor. Spurs did show personality to find a Randal Kolo Muani goal for 1-1 in the 34th minute; it was the striker’s first for the club in the league.
There was the moment on 84 minutes when the substitute, Richarlison, drew a brilliant save out of David Raya. The stadium was far less toxic after the sacking of Thomas Frank and Tudor’s appointment until the end of the season. There were not really any boos. But the pickings remained extremely slim.
It was not a day for Tudor and the injury-ravaged squad he has inherited; one to alleviate the relegation fears that are running wild. Rather it was one for Arsenal and two of their players in particular.
Everybody knows the story about Eberechi Eze, how he chose Arsenal over Spurs last summer and scored a hat-trick in the north London derby in November, which Arsenal won 4-1. Equally, everybody knows how Viktor Gyökeres, another expensive new recruit, has laboured at times.
