Matchday Recap: The win Arsenal needed

It indeed seems like ages ago when Arsenal was sitting in 20th in the Premier League. There were slight signs of hope as the team struggled to defend and earn their first goal of the Premier League campaign. Fast forward a month, and now Arsenal is sitting in the top half of the table, four points off the top four, and have won four matches in all competitions in a row after a dominant showing against Tottenham, winning 3-1.

Under manager Mikel Arteta there never truly felt like a dominant win for Arsenal against a strong opponent. There has been the FA Cup Semifinal and Final where the Gunners won 1-0 against Man City and 2-1 against Chelsea, but never a controlling win like this. From the starting whistle, Arsenal was ambitious and brave. It was a clear strategy on what the Gunners wanted to show Tottenham at the Emirates. Maintain the majority of possession and defensively execute a demanding high press while shutting down short passing lanes. It wasn't until the 38' that Tottenham had their first chance with a Harry Kane header that went wide. By the time half-time came it was evident that Arsenal secured three crucial points, and were not going to give them up. Tottenham earned a goal from Heung-min Son in the 78', but regardless the defense tightened up, and goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale made a vital save to maintain the final score.

"I think [that is] as good as it gets," Arteta told via Arsenal Media. "The way we started, the victory, the way we played, the atmosphere that was created today made it such a special day. Great to have the opportunity to experience something like this."

It was the marquee win that was necessary for Arsenal at this stage of the season. All top clubs dropped points in the table and the perfect time for the Gunners to keep their positive momentum going was against Tottenham. Before Arsenal faces off against Liverpool at Anfield on Nov 20, they have a reasonably favorable schedule. Three of the five opponents are currently below Arsenal in the table, and three are at the Emirates. While it seemed like centuries ago when it was an advantage to play at home in the Emirates, this past game against Tottenham proved just how far the fans could push this squad forward. Arteta mentioned how impactful the crowd was on Sunday, saying, "It's impossible to attract people and to connect with what we are trying to do if we don't have fans, if we don't have our supporters here. It's such a different thing when you sense that they believe, that they are willing to support and we want to entertain them and play in a way that they can be proud and that happens at the same time. That's why I think we are all enjoying and that we're really happy today with what we've seen," (arsenal.com).

Throughout the match, it wasn't just the fans roars but the leadership from every player on the pitch that was an impressive feat. In the past few seasons, Arsenal has lacked the accountability factor that is so vital for a club to succeed, and there were frequent leaks within locker room tensions released to the media. Now under Arteta, specifically this season, each match continues to mold the ideology the manager has spoken about in so many interviews. Against Tottenham, Aaron Ramsdale to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and the rest of the starting 11 held each teammate accountable for any mistakes. They weren't just critical; they lifted each other whenever a defensive battle was won.

This united teamwork may be overlooked, but it shouldn't go unnoticed. Teams like Liverpool, Man City, and Chelsea play as one cohesive unit, and it's a prime example of why they've been the most successful teams in the Premier League for the past five years. If Arsenal wants to be successful, they must continue to play the way they did on Sunday. As a result, they're much closer to the top four than they may realize, and a true test will be on Saturday when they travel to the Amex Stadium to face Brighton & Hove Albion.

What made the squad so successful on Sunday against Tottenham? Well, to first break it down, it starts with the squad selection. Arteta decided to go with a 4-2-3-1 formation with Ramsdale in goal, Takehiro Tomiyasu at right-back, Ben White and Gabriel at center-back, Kieran Tierney at left-back, Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka as holding midfielders, Emile Smith Rowe at left-mid, Martin Ødegaard at center-attacking midfield, Bukayo Saka at right-mid, and Aubameyang as the striker. It's arguably Arsenal's most potent lineup they have put out under Arteta, and the defensive pivot between Partey and Xhaka showed how dominant they are together, allowing a massive disconnect between Tottenhams' Dele Alli to connect passes in behind to Harry Kane and Heung-min Son. As for the attack, it was the HaleEnd academy that was on full display. Both Smith Rowe and Saka were stellar in their performances, with Smith Rowe bagging a goal and an assist, while Saka was able to secure a goal. Saka reflected on their time in the academy together and what it meant to score in the North London Derby, "Yesterday at breakfast we spoke about this, 'Imagine how it would feel to score in a north London derby…When Emile scored the first goal, I just looked at him, and we remembered the conversation. When I scored, he looked at me again, and it was just a very, very special feeling for both of us to do it in this stadium as well," (arsenal.com).

The tactical decisions were some of the best Arteta has produced as manager at Arsenal. All aerial duels were assigned to Tomiyasu and White if the ball came anywhere near Son or Kane. Barring the goal given up (Son moved into the central part of the field, which switched Tomiyasu from defending him), the entire defensive back four had an outstanding performance. Arsenal has now won eight matches in the last eight games that Gabriel has started at center-back for the Gunners. In the previous seven games that Gabriel hasn't, Arsenal has only won one match. It's pretty clear that the White and Gabriel pairing is currently undroppable, and suggestions show that Arteta knows this. Arteta has paired these two together in the past three matches, and they've only conceded one goal. As for Tierney, he provided his trademark crosses into the box threatening Tottenham's aerial defense. His pace was crucial on Sunday, and he outran several on the flank like Dele Alli and Bryan Gil, who tried creating chances on that flank. Arteta then prioritized that Xhaka controls the passing lanes in front of the defenders while Partey does the same, providing forward passes through Tottenham's backline. Both midfielders did exceptionally well, but Xhaka was forced off in the 78' minute after what looked to be a knee injury. When asked about Xhaka's injury, Arteta said, "I'm pretty worried because it doesn't look very positive at the moment" (Arsenal post-match press conference). When it came to the front four on the attack, Arteta brought back his infamous high press that caused Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris to clear the ball out of bounds several times in the match. Overall it was a beautifully tactical match from Arteta, and he deserves as much credit as the players who executed it on the pitch.

Now many can argue that Tottenham is in dreadful form, and that is true, but Arsenal was in 20th place at one point of the season while Tottenham was in first. For the first time this season, Arsenal are above Spurs, and the Arsenal squad will remember how much this win means to everyone within the club. "Arsenal can be proud of these boys [Smith Rowe and Saka] because they are great guys who are doing well… I'm happy that my kids will go to Hale End and maybe one day be like Smith Rowe," Aubameyang told Joe UK.

As Arsenal approaches their next match, it could prove to be one of magnifying proportions. If the Gunners can secure a win, they will be heading into the International Break with five consecutive victories in all competitions and sitting in the Premier League table with 12 points. It may not seem like much, but Arteta will have turned around a spiraling free fall that Arsenal was into now a stable club with momentum heading in the right direction. The Gunners face off at 12:30 pm eastern against Brighton & Hove Albion on Oct 2.