Forget Saka and Havertz: Arsenal Star with 100% Dribbling Dominated Spurs

Well, that was all a bit more stressful than necessary, wasn’t it? Arsenal coasted and headed for the valuable three points away from their fiercest rivals, Tottenham Hotspur.

Mikel Arteta’s men have been so good at eliminating danger from their games this season, but that certainly wasn’t the case this time.

A Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg own goal opened the scoring before Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz gave the Gunners a 3-0 lead at half-time.

This was a dreamland for Arsenal, who were looking to maintain their top spot in the Premier League. So they did, but not without a huge scare from the hosts.

David Raya’s catastrophic mistake gave Ange Postecoglou’s men a lifeline. The Spaniard was not under pressure but played from the back and passed the ball straight to Cristian Romero, who had a simple finish. Declan Rice’s clumsy tackle on Ben Davies then allowed Heung-min Son to score a penalty.

Raya returned the favor with some great wins in the dying embers as Arsenal won 3-2. The Spaniard will undoubtedly overcome some weaknesses, although there have been a number of notable players in the red and white. One of them was Havertz again.

Kai Havertz’s performance in numbers

£65 million going down the drain? We don’t think. Arteta hasn’t done much wrong in the transfer market, but just months into the season the German was branded with the label of a flop. Actually, understandably so.

It took until November for the former Chelsea man to score from play, but since the turn of the year he has been nothing short of exceptional and has quickly become one of Arsenal’s most important players.

Havertz has now scored eight goals and provided five assists in his last eleven games. The crucial change? More freedom than false 9 in Arteta’s system.

He was great against his former employers in the 5-0 win in midweek, scoring twice, and was equally good in the north London derby.

The Summer Arrival played a “Xhaka-like” ball in the background – as the Telegraph’s Sam Dean put it – Saka scored the visitors’ second goal before leaping like a salmon from a Rice corner late in the first half and firing the ball into the goal.

It was a sensational performance from the 24-year-old, who left the field at the end of the game having won a whopping eleven duels, committed two fouls and made two important passes. There was even room for four clearances, a number that highlights his desire to bounce back and help the team.

However, he wasn’t the only star of the show.

Thomas Partey’s appearances in numbers

It was a long and arduous £45 million signing campaign. Thomas Partey missed 26 games in the 2023/24 season due to injury, but has returned to the starting XI with some aplomb in recent days.

He was part of the midfield that former Arsenal target Moises Caicedo dominated last week in his first start of 2024 and as such was rewarded with another starting place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

The result? A “Rolls-Royce” appearance as Arsenal reporter Connor Humm Post it on social media.

Yes, there were moments where the Ghanaian found himself in possession of the ball in dangerous areas, but overall his play was excellent. He is capable of breaking the lines with lush passes, breaking up play with absolute ease and being a nuisance wherever he goes. He has more than proven his worth at a time when it may have looked like he might be sold.

Instead, Partey has revived his career. The performance at Spurs made it clear why he is in the team. He completed 93% of his passes, the best record of any Arsenal starter, while also completing 100% of his dribble attempts and winning five ground duels.

It wasn’t a perfect performance, but it resulted in complete dominance of Tottenham’s midfield. Rodrigo Bentancur was taken off at half-time and Hojbjerg was substituted just after the hour mark. Why? Because Partey and Rice were so good in the middle of the field.

The former Atlético Madrid player has returned at exactly the right time, but whether his influence can bring the title to the Emirates Stadium remains to be seen. Manchester City just keep winning and Arsenal can’t stop it now.