Tottenham vs Arsenal - as it happened: Dele Alli and Harry Kane hand Spurs well-deserved victory
Re-live all the action from White Hart Lane
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Your support makes all the difference.Both Tottenham and Arsenal ground out 1-0 victories midweek. Spurs overcame a spirited Crystal Palace side to remain four points behind leaders Chelsea thanks to a superb strike from Christian Eriksen. Arsenal kept up their chase of the top-four with a laboured victory over Leicester after a Robert Huth own goal gifted them the three-points. Nacho Monreal’s speculative effort deflected off the German, leaving Arsenal five points adrift of fourth placed Manchester City with a game in hand.
Tottenham bounced back from the disappointment of a 4-2 FA Cup semi-final defeat to title rivals Chelsea against Palace, and will be determined to claim another home victory against old adversaries Arsenal. Spurs have only dropped four points in the league at home this season and will be glad that remaining fixtures against Arsenal and Manchester United are at fortress White Hart Lane.
Arsenal have been rejuvenated in recent weeks since their 3-0 defeat to Palace, winning three consecutive fixtures, including a dogged victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final. They remain firm outsiders to claim the final Champions League spot, but will see this fixture as an ideal opportunity to ramp up the pressure on the Manchester duo while derailing Spurs’ title push. Should Arsène Wenger’s men fail to claim all three points, they will surely be too far adrift, and will have to turn all their attention to winning their third FA Cup in four years.
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What time does it start?
Tottenham vs Arsenal kicks off at 16:30 on Sunday 30th April.
Where can I watch it?
The match will be shown live on Sky Sports 1 from 16:15. Highlights will be shown at 23:00 on Sky Sports 1.
It’s a big game for…
Theo Walcott. After another disappointing display as a central striker against Leicester, the 28-year-old, supposedly in the prime of his career, has failed to cement a starting birth. Should he be granted another opportunity, he has no bigger stage to prove his worth.
Best stat…
Wenger has never finished below Tottenham in the Premier League in 20 years in charge. The last time Spurs finished above Arsenal was in 1995.
Remember when…
Tomas Rosicky’s second-minute strike from an acute angle proved to be the decisive goal at White Hart Lane during the 2013/14 campaign. Tottenham lost on three separate occasions to Arsenal that season, including a 2-0 loss in the third round of the FA Cup.
Player to watch…
Christian Eriksen. The Dane produced the assist of the season during Spurs’ FA Cup defeat last Sunday and followed it up with a precious goal from 25 yards against Palace when it looked like the match (and his team’s title aspirations) might fizzle out. Eriksen has produced 12 assists this season and will be a key figure if Tottenham are to overcome Arsenal.
Past three-meetings…
Arsenal 1 Tottenham 1, Premier League, November 2016
Tottenham 2 Arsenal 2, Premier League, March 2016
Arsenal 1 Tottenham 1, Premier League, November 2015
Form guide…
Tottenham: WWWWLW
Arsenal: DWLWWW
Odds…
Tottenham to win: 5/6
Arsenal to win: 31/10
Draw: 29/10
(Odds provided by 888 Sport)
35 min: Another pause in play and this time it's Vertonghen who steps off for treatment. He's not missing for long though and soon returns to the pitch.
37 min: Wanyama takes a heavy touch just inside his own half and is immediately swarmed by a host of red shirts. Ramsey eventually emerges with the ball at feet and proceeds to work the ball down the left flank but Tottenham recover their shape well to nip Arsenal's attack in the bud.
38 min: Ramsey with a chance! He lets loose with a deliciously curled effort that looks to be making its way to the bottom right-hand corner but Lloris gets down well to push the Welshman's effort away. Arsenal with the corner but nothing comes of it. Given that was against the run of play, Tottenham need to watch their backs.
42 min: Arsenal enjoying a bit more possession now as Sanchez attempts to scurry his way past the Tottenham defence down in the left-hand corner of the home side's final third. He links up with Gibbs and looks for the returning pass but the duo struggle. In comes Vertonghen to put an end to matters and force a Spurs goal-kick.
44 min: Arsenal corner-kick from the right. It flashes off the head of a white shirt and shoots out the other end of the Tottenham box. Sanchez eventually gets hold of it and attempts to curl one in to the top-right corner but his effort sails a whisker wide of the far post.
45 min: Arsenal free-kick. It's floated in deep but headed clear. Sanchez once again picks up the scraps and, from inside the Tottenham box, fires a low-driven effort on goal. Trippier puts in a foot to block the shot before the danger is eventually booted clear.
45+2 min: Vertonghen with a decent testing effort from the edge of the penalty area but Cech is on hand to push the shot clear of his goal. One minute left of the first half.
45+3 min: Son goes head to head with the Ox on the left-hand side byline and comes away with a corner. Eriksen delivers but Giroud gets there first to nod the cross away. Half-time.
HALF TIME: Tottenham 0-0 Arsenal
After a dismal start, the visitors have clawed their way back into the game and will surely head into the break with a sense of optimism. Spurs missed two huge chances early on to put themselves ahead but their profligacy in front of goal could now well come back to haunt them. Tottenham have certainly looked the better team but don't write off Wenger's men just yet. It's all to play for.
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