LONDON — Tottenham – Arsenal was a massive north London derby on Sunday (start time, 11:30am ET online via Peacock Premium) and it will likely have a huge impact on which direction the season of both clubs will head in.
After a 2-0 win, Spurs are flying and Arsenal are struggling. Big time.
With 2,000 lucky Tottenham fans allowed to attend this game, they made plenty of noise given the recent form of Harry Kane and Co.
STREAM LIVE TOTTENHAM – ARSENAL
Jose Mourinho has Tottenham top of the Premier League table and they moved 11 points clear of Arsenal if they win. Mikel Arteta and Arsenal have struggled this season, as they’ve lost three on the spin at home in the Premier League and have struggled to score goals and create chances.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Tottenham – Arsenal in the north London derby, as I’m on-site for the clash.
Live analysis from Joe Prince-Wright, on-site at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium for Tottenham – Arsenal
FINAL THOUGHTS, REACTION: Tottenham sat back, defended brilliantly and were clinical on the counter with Kane and Son taking their chances. This was textbook Mourinho and Spurs have now beaten Man City and Arsenal and drawn at Chelsea in their last three. That is title-winning form.
- Player ratings: Not pretty for Xhaka and Willian; Great for Kane and Son
- 3 things we learned from the North London Derby
I asked Mourinho about Tottenham’s recent form and how their title bid is taking shape: “We can lose everywhere. Any team can come here and beat us. Of course people could expect these last three matches, three points, four points, or six but lose one. No, we did seven. We didn’t concede one goal against phenomenal teams. Of course we are in a good moment and the team is strong mentally but nothing’s changed.”
Jose Mourinho to our partners Sky Sports in the UK on Kane and Son: “Harry Kane clearing balls in the box, Sonny for the first 60 minutes as a winger and then a second striker – it is not just about scoring goals and being world class players. It is about being great guys and doing your best for the team. We grew up. I can imagine lots of people can imagine three matches in a row – against Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal – would be a moment for us to drop points and go back to ‘normality’ but we didn’t go back to ‘normality’. We are there. I believe one more week at the top of the table unless Liverpool win by many.”
FULL TIME: As easy as it gets for Tottenham. Kane and Son delivered. Mourinho set them up well to counter. Arsenal were awful and didn’t create any big chances. Tottenham top of the Premier League. Simple north London derby. Well, at least things are simple for Tottenham. Arsenal on the other hand…
🗣 Jubilation at Tottenham at the final whistle, as #THFC beat #AFC in the #NorthLondonDerby to go top of the Premier League table 🙌⚪️🔝
Fans in attendance for the first time since March, and they loved it!
Live analysis & reaction from Tottenham ➡️ https://t.co/jjRL597tPr pic.twitter.com/b99kwPJohy
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) December 6, 2020
86th minute: Brilliant block by Toby Alderweireld, as he denies Aubameyang who was set clear. Great defending from the Spurs veteran.
82nd minute: Spurs doing a great job of shutting this down. Ben Davies heads clear. Arsenal ran of ideas a long, long time ago. Home fans chanting ‘Oh when the Spurs go marching in.’
72nd minute: Ben Davies on for Gio Lo Celso. Mourinho shutting up shop now, as Spurs have switched to a 3-5-2 formation.
65th minute: This is so poor from Arsenal. Saka has whipped in some good balls but there is no real hunger to this Arsenal side. Dare I say they’ve accepted defeat, as they will be in 15th. Some more love for this Kan goal?
50th minute: Arsenal have started the second half well. A free kick is whipped in but Lloris saves. Aubameyang then heads over after a delicious cross after Saka and Tierney combined. Moments later Aurier is forced to clear. Spurs then launch a counter, which is dangerous but Arsenal escape further punishment.
HALF TIME: A beauty from Heung-min Son and a lovely finish from Harry Kane right on half time the difference between the teams at half time. Pretty even aside from that. Tottenham dangerous on the counter. Arsenal have had a lot of the ball but have looked lackluster. Pretty much sums up the season for both teams, so far.
Mikel Arteta is so frustrated on the sidelines as Thomas Partey went off injured after that goal. Mourinho did his best Wolf of Wall Street, “I’m not leaving!” impression when Son scored. He loves it, doesn’t he?
🔥⚪️🔴 Half time thoughts from Tottenham! #THFC brilliant on the counter. Fans here went wild when Son, Kane scored those brilliant goals. #AFC had plenty of the ball, but way too predictable.
Live analysis & updates on the #NorthLondonDerby here ➡️ https://t.co/jjRL597tPr pic.twitter.com/9RlbCciRh0
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) December 6, 2020
GOALLLL! Right on half time Harry Kane makes it 2-0. A sublime counter attack ends with him smashing home.
33rd minute: Spurs looking to counter. Arsenal having lots of the ball but not doing much with it. Home fans are loving Hojbjerg’s performance as he just rattled into a challenge with Willian and gave him some while he was on the floor.
25th minute: Things have settled down a bit. Hojbjerg has a shot from distance which is blocked. Fans around me are barking out orders, which the players can clearly here, like it is a Sunday league game.
The thing I love about having fans back in the stadiums is that there is a bloke sat near the press box who is giving plenty of Sunday league shouts: 'Rinse him, Sonny!' 'Love it, Serge!' and 'Sonny's feet! Sonny's feet!' a few beauties so far #THFC #AFC #TOTARS #NorthLondonDerby
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) December 6, 2020
STAT: That is now 10 goals for Son this season, and Kane has 10 assists. Arsenal have scored 10 goals total in the Premier League. Also, Mourinho’s celly was epic.
Are you not entertained? pic.twitter.com/enLQRz6Fj1
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 6, 2020
13th minute: GOALLLL! What a goal. What a brilliant, brilliant goal. Heung-min Son played in by Harry Kane, he cuts in from the left and curls into the far top corner.
The fans here go absolutely bonkers. An amazing goal from Son. Just absurd.
🚨🔥😱 The crowd inside the stadium went absolutely BONKERS when this went in from Heung-min Son.
After 9 months without seeing Tottenham score a goal, what a moment for #THFC! #NorthLondonDerby pic.twitter.com/Bn5Z2RUhcN
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) December 6, 2020
11th minute: This time Thomas Partey has a shot from distance which flies over. Cue more cheers of delight from the Spurs fans.
Players are out here at Tottenham. Boos for the Arsenal players. #NorthLondonDerby. #THFC #AFC ⚪️🔴🔥 pic.twitter.com/2sUjkhz3AE
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) December 6, 2020
5th minute: Ironic cheers aplenty as Bukayo Saka fires his shot way over the bar after a free kick is half cleared. Lots of boos for the Arsenal players.
3rd minute: Lively start here. Harry Kane is chopped down by Granit Xhaka, but Eric Dier fires the free kick over.
Go-time! We are off and running. Loud music. Fans are fired up. Players are ready. Wow. These 2,000 fans are making a lot of noise.
Kick off soon: Before the game, Gareth Bale got a lovely ovation from the Spurs fans inside the stadium. You forget, given all the excitement around fans returning, that this is the first chance for Spurs fans to see Bale in the flesh.
🙌⚪️🔥 Tottenham fans applaud their team back onto their home pitch for the first time since March!
Gareth Bale getting plenty of love from the #THFC fans in here nice and early. #NorthLondonDerby pic.twitter.com/ceBuN2GLZ2
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) December 6, 2020
Pre-game shenanigans: Hello from north London! There is a real buzz in the air here at Tottenham. The north London derby is always a huge game and with 2,000 fans allowed in to watch this, Tottenham will play in front of home fans for the first time since March.
👋 Welcome to Tottenham. A beautiful day for the #NorthLondonDerby!
I’ll have live updates and analysis on #THFC v #AFC, here ➡️ https://t.co/jjRL597tPr
This should be a beauty! #TOTARS pic.twitter.com/TGyrb7EAYU
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) December 6, 2020
Team news
Harry Kane was an injury concern for Tottenham, but starts for Spurs as does fellow question mark Toby Alderweireld, who was injured in the win against Man City two weeks ago.
Arsenal have a host of injury issues. David Luiz does not feature despite suffering a nasty head wound in that horrendous clash of heads with Wolves’ Raul Jimenez last weekend. Thomas Partey returns from a thigh issue, while Gabriel Martinelli is out long-term.
𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦: Lloris (C), Aurier, Alderweireld, Dier, Reguilon, Hojbjerg, Sissoko, Lo Celso, Bergwijn, Son, Kane.
📱 @WilliamHill latest (18+) https://t.co/dNNU0ef0aL #THFC ⚪️ #COYS pic.twitter.com/9uAunwsAyn
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 6, 2020
📋 Our north London derby team news is in!
🇬🇭 @ThomasPartey22 returns
🏴 @RobHolding95 chosen to partner Gabriel
🏴 @BukayoSaka87 also starts#️⃣ #TOTARS
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) December 6, 2020
What they’re saying
Jose Mourinho on Mikel Arteta: “He is a good coach. He is a talented coach. He won already an important competition in the first few months of his career; that we cannot deny. To be the Arsenal coach, you have to be good – if you are not good, you are not there. So yes, I think Mikel is a good coach but I want to respect the others – especially the others that I don’t know well and probably are also very talented.”
Mikel Arteta on Partey’s fitness: “He has been training separately in the last week or so. We have to scan him again to see how he is feeling. He is a player that is so willing, that is pushing us every day because he wants to do it. At the same time, we have to protect and make sure that when he gets back in the team he is ready to do that and whatever extent of minutes we can use him. So this week is going to be crucial. The moment he starts to train in parts with the team, [we can] see how he is feeling and how he is evolving day to day.”
Odds and ends (full odds provided by our partner, PointsBet)
Tottenham (-106) are the clear favorites but Arsenal (+280) are much better away from home than at home and will be dangerous. The draw at +250 looks enticing.
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Prediction
This could be a classic. Both teams enjoy sitting back deep and hitting the other on the counter, but an early goal here will liven things up. I expect the intensity of the north London derby to force the issue and both teams will take more chances to try and win the game. Tottenham 2-2 Arsenal.
How to watch Tottenham – Arsenal stream and start time
Kickoff: 11:30am ET Sunday
TV Channel: Peacock Premium
Online: Stream via Peacock Premium
