Arsenal faced Tottenham in the first North London Derby of the season and won 3-1. This victory keeps Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table for now. It was an impressive performance and an important win. Let’s get into the Arsenal week 8 match review for the North London Derby.
Arsenal Week 8 Match Review: The Positives
Thomas Partey played quite well and he scored his first goal of the season. He shielded the back four and helped Arsenal transition from defense to attack smoothly as always. It was an excellent performance from Arsenal’s #5.
Speaking of the midfield, Xhaka continued his excellent form. He scored his first goal in a North London Derby and sealed the win for Arsenal. The more advanced role he now occupies seems to suit his game quite well. He deservedly won Arsenal’s Player of the Month Award for September 2022 and his form is a major reason why Arsenal remain at the top of the Premier League table.
Saka played well despite not registering either a goal or an assist. He was a constant threat down the right side and could have scored at least one goal in the match. He had a lively performance and will certainly make it back on the scoresheet soon enough.
Gabriel Jesus also scored his first goal in a North London Derby. He quickly reacted to Hugo Lloris’s mistake and capitalized on it. Jesus now has eight goal contributions from his first eight Premier League games for Arsenal. Additionally, Jesus did not pick up a yellow card, so he is available for selection against Liverpool.
Saliba was also excellent in defense as usual. He helped stifle Tottenham’s attack and was composed in possession. Saliba did quite well in his first North London Derby.
Ben White also played very well. He neutralized Heung-min Son and essentially marked him out of the game. He is not a natural right-back, but one would find it difficult to recognize that based on his performance. White also passed the ball well, as usual.
The Negatives
There weren’t many negatives for Arsenal in this match. However, Gabriel Magalhaes did give away a penalty needlessly with a poor challenge on Richarlison. Gabriel is sometimes a bit too aggressive in his defending. He will need to work on cutting that out in the future. He is still a good defender, but he has room to grow.
Arsenal Week 8 Match Review- Manager Rating: 9
Arteta receives a manager rating of 9/10 for this performance. The Gunners defended well, attacked well, and dominated possession in this match. Arteta also made timely and effective substitutions. One can’t really blame Arteta for Gabriel giving away the penalty to Tottenham. The Gunners mostly neutralized Tottenham’s counterattacks, as well.
Arsenal Play Liverpool Next
The Gunners next play Liverpool in the Premier League. Liverpool have had a challenging start to their Premier League season, so this is a good opportunity for Arsenal. Hopefully, Arsenal can win again and stay at the top of the league. It makes sense to bet on Arsenal winning that match if they have their strongest 11 available. Check back in next week for our match review of Arsenal vs. Liverpool.