Just four days ago, big questions were asked about Arsenal. Mikel Arteta’s side suffered a dreadful 2-2 draw away at Wolves.
How on earth did they lose points there? Well, that was a pretty difficult question to answer.
So the Gunners had a golden opportunity to hit back as they traveled across north London to face rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Respond is exactly what they did, and a certain style too. It was a glorious day for Arteta and his team as Arsenal won 4-1 with two goals from Eberechi Eze and Victor Gokeres.
Manchester City may have a game in hand, but the difference between the two teams is back to five points. Soccer can change so quickly, right? With this clear result, deep-seated concerns were once again put to rest.
How Eze and Gokeres beat Spurs
It’s no exaggeration to say that this was not an easy game for Eze and Gokeres, who have been in Arsenal colors since signing for big money last summer.
The former has been in and out of the team but has never been able to really show why Arsenal paid around £67.5 million to bring him from Crystal Palace to the Emirates Stadium. Similarly, Gokeres is also struggling. He struggled to get into the game and didn’t look like the center forward who could help Arsenal win the Premier League.
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But both players now look ready at a crucial time to lead the Gunners to the league title. This was probably Gokeres’ best night in an Arsenal shirt, and certainly Eze’s best performance since his magical hat-trick last time Arsenal faced Spurs.
There’s something about the north London derby that ignites the England international’s fire, making the two games against Spurs special after the Lilywhites refused to sign for Arteta’s side in the summer.
Although he didn’t get a hat-trick this time, his performance was just as impactful, scoring two goals and finding the back of the net for the first time since scoring three against his neighbors in the league.
The former Palace star has struggled to make an impact since the home game against Spurs, but this was a timely reminder of why Andrea Berta brought him to the club. Their first attack was a little sloppy, but they scored the first goal from close range. Nothing was too much trouble about the second one. He exchanged passes with Gokeres, fed Saka and fired home the rebound from inside the area after the winger’s shot was blocked.
Eze’s performance was great, but the official man of the match was a disappointment. Like his fellow summer signings, the striker has faced significant criticism since his move to London. After the game against Wolves, he had scored zero shots on target in 60% of his league games with Arsenal.
Well, against a completely bullied Spurs side, he looked like a completely different player. After the game, Arteta said it was the Swede’s best performance for the club, and he wouldn’t disagree. He scored both goals brilliantly.
The first shot, supplied by Julian Timber, was driven into the goal with power and precision from the edge of the area, and the second, which ended the game, was entirely due to his strength. He outscored Archie Gray and crashed the ball past Guglielmo Vicario.
Gokeres looked classy in front of goal, but it was his all-round play that pleased Arteta the most. He moved the channels and held the ball very well for his teammates.
However, these two are not the only ones who gave exquisite performances at Kohaku.
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Much of the praise will go to Eze and Gokeres, but there were many other impeccable players in Arteta’s squad. David Raya in particular made a great save on the goal line and Arsenal maintained their lead towards the end of the game, with Bukayo Saka showing his true potential on the right wing and scoring the opening goal.
Special praise also goes to Piero Hincapie, who had a productive week as Arsenal’s left-back.
He scored his first goal for the club against Wolves in midweek, but on Sunday he saved perhaps his best performance since joining Spurs from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.
Truth be told, the Ecuadorian hasn’t exactly convinced himself after his big move, but like Gokeres, he has now grown into a bigger role at Arsenal and could become an especially important player, especially if Riccardo Calafiori’s fitness issues continue.
Hincapie is a centre-back by trade, but he replaced Calafioli at left-back last week and made a big impact, especially against Spurs, dealing with Igor Tudor’s attack with ease.
During his time on the field, the 24-year-old put in a near-perfect performance, racking up 10 defensive contributions. He won eight duels and won five of his seven tackles.
Hincapie vs Spurs | |
|---|---|
Play time (minutes) | 90 |
touch | 55 |
exact path | 24/27 (89%) |
key pass | 3 |
A big opportunity has arisen | 1 |
carry | 9 |
cross | 0/2 |
shot | 1 |
tackle win | 5/7 |
clearance | 3 |
collect | 4 |
Won a ground duel | 8/13 |
won an aerial battle | 0/1 |
The defender was the very definition of a monster, but his efforts weren’t just limited to the defensive phase of the play. Similar to his game against Wolves a few days ago, Hincapie provided three important passes and two crosses, proving he can continue to provide a threat. Only one of the 55 touches was a failure.
The South American is currently on loan only, but Arsenal have the option of signing him for £45m in the next transfer window. If he continues to put in more performances like this between now and the end of May, it would make sense to make this move permanent.
The result against Wolves may not have gone Arsenal’s way, but there is no disputing the fact that it was Hincapie’s best week from an individual perspective since arriving from Germany.
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