Arsenal Hold On for North London Derby Victory

Arteta's men survive a scare at Tottenham

Premier League leaders Arsenal survived a second-half scare at Tottenham to hold on for a 3-2 north London derby victory that cemented their place at the top. The Gunners took a 2-0 lead into the break thanks to goals from Thomas Partey and Hugo Lloris (own goal), but Tottenham fought back after the interval with goals from Harry Kane and Richarlison. However, Arsenal substitute Gabriel Martinelli restored the visitors' lead with just under 20 minutes remaining to secure the victory.

Arteta delighted with the win

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was delighted with his team's performance, particularly in the second half. "I'm really happy with the win," he said. "We showed great character and resilience to come back from 2-2 and win the game. I thought we were the better team in the second half and we deserved to win." Arsenal looked in control of the game in the first half, but Tottenham came out fighting after the break. Kane pulled a goal back for the hosts from the penalty spot, and Richarlison equalized just minutes later. However, Arsenal refused to give up and Martinelli's late goal sealed the win.

Tottenham rue missed chances

Tottenham will be left to rue a number of missed chances, particularly in the second half. Son Heung-min had a great opportunity to equalize in the dying minutes, but he fired wide. Spurs also had a number of other chances to score but failed to take them. Tottenham manager Antonio Conte admitted that his team was "not clinical enough" in front of goal. "We had a lot of chances to score, but we didn't take them," he said. "We need to be more clinical if we want to win games like this." Arsenal's victory means that they are now four points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table. The Gunners have a game in hand over their rivals, and they will be confident of holding on to their lead.