The Gunners hosted their rivals for the Arsenal Vs Tottenham match in the quarterfinals of the EFL Cup in the second North London Derby this season.
Unai Emery was handed his 4th defeat of the season on Wednesday night as Heung Min Son and Dele Alli netted a goal each to secure a comfortable victory for the Spurs.
Tottenham trounced Arsenal 2-0 at the Emirates and advanced to the EFL Cup Semi-Finals where they now meet Chelsea. Spurs took an early lead in the first half when Delle Alli set up Son with a brilliant pass. Son sneaked the ball past Petr Cech cleverly to take an early advantage.
FT Arsenal 0-2 Tottenham
Spurs win the North London derby and are into the Carabao Cup semi-finals thanks to goals from Son Heung-min and Dele Alli 👉 https://t.co/IWGKrEpUsb #bbcfootball #ARSTOT pic.twitter.com/MY7e6dIJOP
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 19, 2018
Gunners, although partly dominated possession, lacked the killer instinct and failed to produce opportunities to score. Alli’s superb flick 15 minutes into the second half ensured that the visitors remained unscathed in the Arsenal Vs Tottenham game. Spurs now face Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea in the semifinal draw.
Here are the three talking points from the Arsenal Vs Tottenham game
1. Mesut Ozil And Unai Emery In A Frosty Relationship
Since the beginning of the season, all does not seem to be well between the ex-Real Madrid star and Unai Emery. Ozil had been previously dropped for bizarre reasons including inexplicable illnesses and back spasms. Last night’s exclusion sends out a clear message to the German national that he is on the same level as the other squad players.
Unai Emery refuses to give assurances over Mesut Ozil’s future | @MiguelDelaney https://t.co/DbPVhnNWZG pic.twitter.com/Tf1QVsuyyO
— Indy Football (@IndyFootball) December 19, 2018
The EFL Cup is the one domestic trophy that had eluded his predecessor Arsene Wenger in his otherwise illustrious career. It has been 25 years since Arsenal last won the EFL Cup. Given the importance of the trophy and how much it would’ve meant to the players, fans and the club, it was expected of Mesut Ozil to play in the Arsenal Vs Tottenahm quarterfinal tie.
When enquired the reason for his absence, Emery stated:
“This was purely for ‘tactical reasons’.”
2. Arsenal Vs Tottenham Draw Proved Heung Min Son Is A Remarkable Player
Despite the criticism Son has received in the recent times, the South Korean forward has proven to be an impactful player for the Spurs. On Wednesday night, he was sharp, decisive and played with a natural flair. His regular inroads into the injury-marred Arsenal defense forced Unai Emery to change his back-line formation during the Arsenal Vs Tottenham match.
https://twitter.com/D9INE_LEGACY/status/1075482937561239552
Son once again showcased his brilliant finishing skills when he calmly slotted home the opener past a struggling Petr Cech. He skipped and swayed past the back four with ease adding to their woes. Playing as the main striker for Spurs, he tormented the Arsenal back-line at will.
3. Granit Xhaka Is Not A Center Back
It is clear that the squad lacks a good bench. Injuries to four defensive players further put Unai Emery in a selection dilemma. He had relatively few choices for the center back position. Granit Xhaka just couldn’t play that position. His positioning and decision-making during the Arsenal Vs Tottenham game were extremely poor.
The Swiss made silly or even better to say, childish mistakes which no natural center back would’ve made. He was either too high up the pitch or not willing to close down on the attacking player. It wasn’t entirely Xhaka’s fault and he shouldn’t be blamed for the defensive lapses. The club needs to see to it that the manager is provided with adequate personnel for each position if they are to put up a decent challenge for trophies.
Arsenal next face 18th placed Burnley for their 18th round Premier League clash on Saturday.
