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AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Arsenal v Tottenham, Premier League

Arsenal took on Tottenham, with both sides looking to gain a valuable three points.

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Arsenal 1-0 Tottenham

Hello, and welcome to our liveblog of Arsenal v Tottenham.

I’ll have the teams for you momentarily.

ARSENAL: Szczesny, Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Wilshere, Ramsey, Walcott, Rosicky, Cazorla, Giroud. Subs: Sagna, Monreal, Flamini, Fabianski, Sanogo, Gnabry, Zelalem.

TOTTENHAM: Lloris, Walker, Dawson, Vertonghen, Rose, Capoue, Paulinho, Townsend, Dembele, Chadli, Soldado. Subs: Lamela, Holtby, Naughton, Defoe, Sigurdsson, Friedel, Sandro.

This fixture has produced some classics over the years, including the game below.

YouTube credit: PhantomFX91

So who do you fancy to win today?


Poll Results:

Tottenham (202)
Arsenal (91)
Draw (66)

We’re underway…

Lloris has just palmed away a well-struck free-kick for a corner.

It’s an encouraging start for Arsenal, who many critics are describing as underdogs for today’s game.

Dembele commits what looks a clumsy challenge on Walcott.

From the resulting free-kick, Cazorla cleverly hits his shot under the wall, but it goes just wide.

The Gunners have started this game looking far more purposeful than their opponents.

Good skill from Chadli to beat Jenkinson down the left wing.

His cross, however, is disappointing, as it falls right into the arms of Szczesny.

Walker’s cross finds Soldado, whose shot is well blocked by the lunging Arsenal defender.

Tottenham are beginning to come into this game much more now.

With just under 20 minutes gone, the sides are looking fairly evenly matched.

Both have spurned one or two half-chances, though there’s been no clear openings as of yet.

Tottenham have hit a few sloppy stray passes in recent minutes, with Capoue the latest culprit.

It’s evidence, perhaps, that their new signings still aren’t fully comfortable or on the same wavelength as of yet.

GOAL FOR ARSENAL!

Arsenal 1-0 Tottenham

Michael Dawson is guilty of playing the Arsenal forwards onside, as a through pass finds Walcott.

His inch-perfect cross reaches Giroud, who slots it confidently past Lloris.

Ramsey brushes off the challenge of the Tottenham defender, and plays in Walcott.

The winger’s slightly tame shot is then parried away by Szczesny.

Arsenal are very much in the ascendancy right now and are clearly buoyed by the goal.

Here’s Giroud’s opener…

YouTube credit: AllGoalsVideoHD

Walcott plays it to the onrushing Ramsey just outside the box, but the Welsh international blasts it wastefully over.

Tottenham are finding it difficult to cope with their opponents’ speedy attack at the moment.

Walcott is played through, and Lloris takes an incredible risk, coming out of his box and slide tackling the England international.

If he had mistimed that, he would have been sent off, but fortunately for Tottenham, his challenge was faultless.

Tottenham look a little short of ideas at the moment.

They aren’t attacking with any real conviction or creativity, and have been reduced to mainlyhitting long aimless passes forward.

They have tried hard to get their wingers into the game, but both Townsend and Chadli have been kept relatively quiet by a well-organised and disciplined Arsenal backline.

(Wojciech Szczesny celebrates the opening goal – Adam Davy/EMPICS Sport)

Jack Wilshere has rather unfortunately had to go off with yet another injury he has picked up.

Arsenal new/old boy Mathieu Flamini comes on in his stead.

HALF-TIME: ARSENAL 1-0 TOTTENHAM

So at half-time, Arsenal hold a deserved lead.

They’ve attacked with far more ambition than their opponents, who have been disappointingly cautious and ineffectual in attack.

Will we see Spurs’ new record signing Erik Lamela in the second half? Surely, if the game continues in this vein, he’ll get the call from the bench.

The second half has begun…

Tottenham win a corner as they start the second half with intent.

Nevertheless, it’s subsequently cleared – Tottenham’s set-pieces have been pretty mediocre so far.

Jack Wilshere is suffering from stomach cramp, according to Sky Sports.

The injury is seemingly not as serious as first feared then.

Chadli blazes a free kick well over for Tottenham.

David Beckham watches on in the crowd, presumably unimpressed.

The game has hit a bit of a lull following the non-stop thrills of the first half, with neither side looking especially dangerous in attack.

Though, as I type, Arsenal win a corner.

Giroud flashes a shot just wide as Arsenal launch a quick-fire counter-attack.

Aside from that one moment, it’s arguably been Tottenham’s best spell of the match.

Jermain Defoe is set to come on as Paulinho hits a shot well wide.

Yet Spurs need a creative midfielder more so than a striker, it seems.

(David Beckham and his sons Brooklyn, Cruz and Romeo watch on in the stands – Jonathan Brady/PA Wire/Press Association Images)

Defoe has replaced Dembele, as Tottenham adopt a more attack-minded style.

Meanwhile, a Dawson slip-up allows Arsenal to break rapidly, but Lloris does well to avert the danger by quickly coming off his line and intercepting the ball from the onrushing forward.

Erik Lamela, Tottenham’s new record signing has come on, as has Sandro.

They have replaced Townsend and the injured Capoue, who has left the field on a stretcher.

Szczesny does well to save a Defoe strike from just outside the box, before Soldado’s effort from the rebound is blocked by a charging Arsenal defender.

This could be a nervy final 15 minutes for Gunners fans.

Substitute Monreal almost almost scores with his first touch, as he follows up the rebound from Walcott’s initial shot.

Nine minutes remaining for what would be a huge result for Arsene Wenger.

There is a touch of desperation about Tottenham’s play now.

Dawson hits an overly ambitious long ball which Lamela fails to control and the ball goes slowly out of play.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are looking very dangerous on the break, as Spurs push forward in numbers.

Defoe plays an intelligent ball forward to Lamela.

However, the Argentinian’s subsequent shot is weak, and Szczesny collects it comfortably.

(Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Hugo Lloris slides in on Arsenal’s Theo Walcott - Jonathan Brady/PA Wire/Press Association Images)

The ball falls to Kyle Walker, following a hopeful cross into the area, but the full-back fails to catch it adequately, firing well over.

There’ll be five minutes of injury time, but Spurs don’t really look capable of breaking down this Arsenal side frankly.

Soldado plays it across the box to Walker, but he totally mis-hits his shot.

It’s a frantic finish at the Emirates.

FULL-TIME: ARSENAL 1-0 TOTTENHAM

Interestingly, Tottenham lost despite having 57% possession.

The goalscorer Olivier Giroud gets man-of-the-match.

In his post-match interview with Sky Sports, Aaron Ramsey admits the side are “short of numbers,” but adds that Arsene Wenger “recognises the quality” that’s already in the side.

Right, that’s all from me for now. Thanks for reading and commenting.

Until next time…

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